September 2, 2010


Atlanta, Georgia


By a show of hands, who woke up this morning with a smile on his face? Yeah, me too. College Football season, in all it's splendor and glory, is finally here. We can all stop cruising those obscure websites and message boards to see which way that 2012 defensive back is leaning, because the real thing is finally here.

Southern Miss at South Carolina
Get out of my chair, hand me the remote, turn off the phone and make me a sammidge. ESPN is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I can watch this game on channel 206 or watch this game and brush up on my spanish on channel 209. See what I mean?!

Steve Spurrier will try once again to have a breakout year at South Carolina and this game will provide a good opportunity for him to see where they stand. After last years embarrassing beatdown by UCONN in the PapaJohns.com Bowl, let's hope, as SEC fans, that they have a little more now than then.
I look for this to be a two score outcome with Coach Spurrier trying to settle on a QB before next weeks SEC opener. The debut of Marcus Lattimore and the absence of TE Weslye Saunders are the biggest storylines going in.

I'm picking South Carolina, uncomfortably close.


Also, I'm going to allow myself a mulligan this week in the remainder of the SEC picks and I will be posting those on Friday. It was reported late last night that North Carolina may be missing as many as 16 players for their Atlanta showdown with LSU. I get a different feel from the NCAA this year and they seem even more sinister than in years past. I'm speaking specifically to the cases of Marvin Austin and Marcel Dareus. The NCAA seems significantly quicker to accuse and noticeably slower to punish or clear student athletes. The NCAA strikes me as the very last of the monolithic, military-industrial, secretive and all powerful entities in America. In its present state, I believe it to be in it's last days.

I don't run to see who's fastest, I run to see who has the most guts....... Steve Prefontaine


Hot enough for ya?
Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel answered that question in resounding fashion late last week when he cancelled practice in Columbus because it was "too hot."  Ohio State fans, are you as embarrassed as we are for you?  I can hear Gene Stallings and the rest of the Junction Boys laughing all the way from Paris, Texas.  Bless your hearts.

SEC teams from Gainesville to Baton Rouge to Knoxville are fighting through two a days with temperatures in the low 100's and heat indeces reported as high as 113 degrees in Tuscaloosa. Your team couldn't practice because the temperature hit the low 90's and the heat index was in the upper 90's. Yeah, we have that down here every NIGHT.

I seriously hope that I am not drinking chocolate milk the next time I hear one of your former players arrogantly introduce himself as being from THE Ohio State University. I have no doubt that I will literally snort with derision. Big 10? Big Deal.

Let me list a few of the teams on 2009 National Champion Alabama's regular season schedule; Penn State (which means that Bama's Big 10 schedule is as tough as yours!), Florida, LSU, Arkansas, Tennessee and Auburn. If Bama can successfully navigate that minefield they will have earned the opportunity to play in the SEC Championship game against Florida (again!) or Georgia.

Who will Ohio State play in the Big 10 Championship game? Oh that's right, ya'll don't have one. You take that day off as well.

Cancelling practice because it is too hot is so foreign to an SEC fan that it is beyond comprehension. You should lose your preseason Number 2 ranking over that. I am not kidding. Do they not sell Gatorade in Columbus?  As I'm writing this article it has been raining all day AND IT IS STILL HOT. Cut it down to one practice per day. Take it inside. Work on your kicking game, go in shorts and helmets, do anything but cancel it altogether. That is lame, it is weak and it is pathetic.

Where is your mental and physical toughness? You have none. Know what led me to that conclusion?
BECAUSE YOUR COACH CANCELS PRACTICE WHEN ITS TOO HOT.

Do you know why you've lost your last two BCS Championship Games to SEC teams?
BECAUSE YOUR COACH CANCELS PRACTICE WHEN IT'S TOO HOT.

We are 15 days from kickoff of a new College Football season which means that within 16 days we will be subjected to some guy wearing a parka in early September telling us how the Big 10 is every bit as good as the SEC. When you hear that, I hope you remember this.

“Let’s find the key and turn this engine on”…..Eddie Money

As of today, all of the major players in the SEC will be at it. 28 days ‘til kickoff. Unrelenting heat gripping the South where our guys are about to fight through two-a-days.  Except in Athens where Coach Richt and his Dawgs will be “finishing the drill” only once per day.  That is about as new school as it gets. He’s not exactly rocking a crew cut and a whistle, is he?  This is the same guy who cancelled practice last August to take his team to the pool and for ice cream. I would love to hear comments on that from Gene Stallings or any of the Junction Boys. This is about as weak as that news story I saw yesterday of parents complaining that their schoolchildren had to be on an un-airconditioned school bus for a 20 minute ride home (The horror!). Before I make my last comment on this I would like to tell my readers (both of ya) that next month I turn 50. I live and work one county away from Athens. Yesterday I did my usual 3-4 miles of roadwork at 5 pm. The heat index was 105 degrees. Afterwards I required neither pool nor ice cream. This guy reminds me of Tebow minus the hardware. The SEC fan and writer in me wants to give him the benefit of the doubt, the boxer in me sees weakness and smells blood and wants to take him out. I do not bleed Red and Black, so you guys keep him as long as you want to. Personally, I’m on the Kirby Smart countdown.

Most interesting thing I read yesterday

There are two;

1. Cam Newton, QB and newly appointed savior by Auburn fans, commented yesterday on the complexities of the Auburn offense by saying “ I have a grasp of it but you never know with Coach Malzahn’s offense.”  Yikes!  I have been very vocal on this Blog about JUCO QB’s not succeeding in the SEC and that is a perfect example of what I’m talking about.
2. Michael Dyer, RB and five star recruit at Auburn chose to ice down his knee yesterday after his first practice. “I just like to ice my knee after games and practice just to make sure it’s okay.” There was no indication that he iced down any other parts of his body just to make sure they were also okay. Just the one knee. Additionally there were no reports of any other players icing down body parts that were not problematic for them.

Alabama

Soph. defensive back Rod Woodson, former four star recruit from Olive Branch, MS, has met with Coach Saban and they have reached the mutual decision that it would be best for Mr. Woodson to transfer elsewhere. Alabama is already thin in the secondary but seems to shrug this news off without a second thought. I am reminded of the scene in Tombstone where, after a series of bloody gunfights, the Earps pull up their wagon in front of Powers Booth character to let him know they are leaving town. His only response? “Well, bye.”

 

 

Arkansas

Returns 5 of 6 defensive tackles which is good for a team whose primary concern is defense. Too many question marks in the secondary and at LB.

Florida

Started right out of the gate on Thursday morning with two-a-days. Is Georgia even out of bed yet, or were they allowed to sleep in?

LSU

Coach Les Miles reports that everyone is healthy and ready to go.

Ole Miss

The addition of Jeremiah Masoli  at QB has sent ripples through every team in the SEC West except Alabama.  A potentially strong  defense at Ole Miss and weak defenses at Auburn and Arkansas make them susceptible to being torched by the talented QB from Oregon. He so successfully ran the spread at Oregon that he was mentioned prominently in Heisman talk. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast, he makes good decisions (on the field) and he’s use to big crowds. Houston Nutt just out-Auburned Auburn.

South Carolina

Marcus Lattimore, Stephen Garcia, a pretty good O and D and a schedule with built in breathers set up nicely for Coach Spurrier to finally get over the hump and do something better than getting blown out by UConn in the PapaJohns Bowl.

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Vandy needs to Seize the Day. Vandy needs to make a bold move. Vandy needs to play Bachelorette and give a rose to Gus Malzahn. What a perfect match these two make. This could be like Spurrier coaching at Duke,or better yet, like Krzyzewski.  Intelligent players running a disciplined and forward offense. It could be the beginning of something very interesting in our conference, and I’m going to tell you why.

 

1. Malzahn can recruit. He has brought Michael Dyer and Kiehl Frazier to Auburn. Both from Arkansas and both national recruits. After being hired as the Offensive Coordinator at Arkansas in 2005, he brought with him Mitch Mustain, Ben Cleveland and Damien Williams. All national recruits.
2. He can coach. At Tulsa in 2007 and 2008, Malzahn's offense finished 1st in the nation in total yards per game. They finished 2nd in the nation in scoring, just behind Oklahoma, at 47 points per game. His units improve over the course of his stay.
3. He has no baggage. Tony Franklin he is not.
4. His record is proven enough for Vandy. His head coaching experience is all at the high school level but he was interviewed for the Arkansas vacancy (his alma mater) in '07 Vandy runs their Athletic Department as part of their intramural sports program. That’s as close to a hybrid high school/college situation as will ever happen in the SEC.
5. Robbie Caldwell, named as interim head coach just 2 days ago, also registers all of his head coaching experience at the high school level.
6. Vandy has a short window to overtake Tennessee as the power in this State. I don't want to use this column to recount Tennessee's woes, but they are plentiful. With the right hire, Vanderbilt can make a strong move toward that goal.

 This would be good for our conference, Urban Meyer at Florida, Spurrier at South Carolina, Petrino at Arkansas and, if Vandy is smart and we all know they are, Gus Malzahn at Vanderbilt.
I don't see Phil Fulmer donning Black and Gold and I don't see anyone in the SEC hiring Mike Leach. The Nashville area is a hotbed for college talent and the city itself offers more glitz than most SEC campuses.

Auburn fans will have to whistle through the graveyard on this one but that and running backs are kinda what they’re known for.

 

SEC EAST PREDICTIONS

 

 If you find yourself reading this article, particularly if you are on my Blog, I hope you’re not thinking “Oh Jesus, is this guy going to try to write football articles again this year? I hope he took some classes.”  Because I would just be devastated.  I need to shake off the dust and knock off a little rust, so I might miss a few early but by the end of the year I hope to be more popular than Doodle Jump.

And we’re off…

I have put off writing this article for a month trying to convince myself that Georgia would dethrone Florida this year in the SEC East.  Florida lost a lot of talent, but they’ll bring back more. They’re kind of like a regenerative monster. Georgia has ten offensive starters returning.  It’s a shame one of them isn’t at Quarterback. South Carolina can be summed up in two words: Stephen Garcia. Vandy could actually make a move to overtake Tennerrssee as the perennial power in the State. They won’t but they could.  I’ve been watching Tennerrssee long enough to remember when Gen. Neyland was a private (I’m lying about that part) and I have never seen them lower. Joker Phillips has a once in a lifetime window to make an immediate ascent, and entrench himself into,  the number three coaches position in this Division.

1. Georgia- What the hell, I’ve convinced myself. 10 offensive starters returning, Trinton Sturdivant, Kris Durham and Bruce Figgins have all mended or been forgiven  and Ben Jones, Cordy Glenn and Clint Boling form an imposing left side of the Offensive Line. Especially when Bruce Figgins lines up strongside beside Boling.  Washaun Ealey and Caleb King will be running behind that and the punishing blocks of Shaun Chapas and will be pounding it down people’s throats early and often. When freshman QB Aaron Murray is turned loose, he has elite passcatchers in AJ Greene and Kris Durham. Orson Charles is a special talent at TE and is absolutely punishing after the catch. Rantavious Wooten and Tavarres King round out a solid offense.  There are just enough potential stars in UGA’s defense to manage wins. Branden Smith (who could turn out to be a very smooth punt returner), Brandon Boykin and Bacarri Rambo have enough talent to not allow long gains which leads to the most important player on the Georgia squad this year-Drew Butler. If the defense can keep them out of the end zone, this kid can flip the field. If the offense can get it far enough on the other side of the 50, Blair Walsh can stick it through the uprights.

Look for Georgia to wear down defenses with ball control offense, play enough defense to win games, exit September with 3 wins and take this Division by the slimmest of margins.

 

1. Florida- Post Tebow. Yes we’ve all heard that Brantley is good but let’s not kid ourselves, that other kid was special. Florida, you haven’t exactly lost your mojo but you did lose a bunch of talent. For God’s sake, you’re down to one Pouncey.  You play Alabama and LSU from the West but the rest of your schedule offends me, just as it did last year when you only played one ranked team (LSU) in the regular season. Any year that you get to play Vandy and Kentucky and Tennessee and Miami, OH and the University of South Florida you shouldn’t also get to play Appalachian State, that’s all I’m saying. Yeah, I know they beat Michigan. So could me and my niece. Aaron Hernandez was a huge loss.

1. South Carolina- I’ve enjoyed watching Steve Spurrier at South Carolina. We’ve gotten to know just how good he is at coaching. This isn’t Fun ‘n Gun anymore. Hell, sometimes it’s not even fun. I would hate to have Stephen Garcia as my best option as QB. He reminds me of Robert Marve. I get the impression that both of them would enjoy hanging out with Ken Stabler, if you know what I mean.  Spurrier desperately needs a QB and just can’t seem to get the right guy to Columbia

Kenny Miles, Jarvis Giles and hopefully, Marcus Lattimore will be running behind a veteran, and pretty good, offensive line. Alshon Jefferey is a rising star and Tori Gurley can keep opposing defenses from the double team. Defensively South Carolina gets a boost from MLB Rodney Paulk being granted a sixth year of eligibility and Cliff Matthews and Stephen Gilmore will play until the last echo of the whistle. With a little luck, a turnaround year from Stephen Garcia and a serious splash from last year’s #1 High School running back, Lattimore, the Gamecocks could contend for the Division crown

 

1. Kentucky- When I was a freshman Psychology student at Georgia State University (Go Panthers!)I learned about “recency” and “primacy.” For the most part, people remember the first and last things you do or say. The middle part, they just sort of glaze over.

 Kentucky kicks off the 2010 season with Louisville, Western Kentucky and Akron. They finish the season with Charleston Southern, Vandy and Tennessee. Throw in the two SEC West opponents of Ole Miss and Miss. State and Joker Phillips, in his first year, could win 8 or 9 games. You know they’ll try and run him for president if that happens, right?

Seriously though, the man inherits some impressive talent and I like the offensive assistant coaching trio of Larry Brinson, Randy Sanders and Tee Martin.

 

1. Vandy- This is a very young team and will be led by Warren Norman. Coach Johnson has his hands full and will earn every penny of his salary this year. SEC West opponents LSU, Arkansas and Ole Miss will be difficult to beat, as will Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee.

 

6.       Tennessee- I’m sure I will get some grief for placing Tennessee last in this division and I honestly don’t care. Any University who would hire and keep Lane Kiffin deserves whatever they get.  How could you not see that coming? No experienced QB, no experienced offensive linemen and I’m pretty sure no Colquitt. I will pay attention to Tennessee again when they have proven that they are no longer a traveling carnival.

                                                                                        May 29, 2010


Atlanta, Georgia


With apologies, again, going out to Kyle P for not covering the SEC East first or writing an article about his beloved DAWGS, I need to get this SEC West stuff out of my brain. Don't worry Kyle, I am going to write that article and I do believe that your Dawgs can take down Florida this year. Brantley may be a good QB, but I have to go deeeeep in my mental Rolodex (yes I said Rolodex) to think of a guy who could lead his team mentally and physically the way Tebow did. That makes the QB situation about even between Georgia and Florida. Your running backs are as good, your offensive line is as good, your receivers are as good, your defense....well let's just move on to the SEC West.

This is not meant to be a preseason prediction carved in granite. This is more like a Spencer Region type of commitment. We could talk all day about why Arkansas will finish second, third or fourth and we could do the same with Auburn and LSU. Picking against Bama right now would just be silly. For any fan of an SEC West team who thinks they have a legitimate shot at beating Bama this year, I'm going to offer my opinion to you. If your team played Bama close last year and if you are still stuck on some "what if" idea about how you should've beaten them, you should remember one thing: Tennessee came closest to beating Alabama last year. Their team is not in the same stratosphere as Bama's and neither is yours. Last August I said that Alabama would win the National Championship two years in a row and I see no need to back away from that.. Movin' on...

This is an oddball assortment of things about each team which seem important to me. It's how I pick games.

2nd
Arkansas

If there were a statistic for dropped passes that hit a receiver in stride, right in the hands,  Arkansas would have led that category in 2009. Arkansas has a new coach for their wide receivers this year. He is a former offensive lineman. Point Auburn and LSU. Offensive skill players are as good as Alabama's.

3rd
Auburn

The defensive secondary is a MASH Unit. Does ElToro Freeman have to wear a helmet when he's not on the field? Can anyone name a JUCO Quarterback who succeded in the SEC? I cannot remember one. If Mario Fannin sprains an ankle, is the season over?

4th
LSU

Anytime your quarterbacks nickname is "pick six," you're in trouble. I don't see this team beating Arkansas, Auburn or Bama. Houston Nutt has beaten LSU four years in a row. That only leaves Mississippi State and you have to wonder if Les Miles is as good as Dan Mullen.

5th
Mississippi State

I don't know much but I do know that they beat a loaded Ole Miss team last year at the end of the season. Recruiting is picking up. Mullen's second year. Chizik's second year. Thursday night September 9th will be interesting. Home game against Auburn and the students are just returning. Trust me, after this game you will NOT need more cowbell. You think Tennersee plays Rocky Top too much? These people are coming out of their skin to get at Auburn.

Ole Miss
Ole Miss simply lost too much talent. Branden Bolden and Enrique Davis could be exceptional. New offensive coordinator is Dave Rader, Mike Shula's old OC. Bobby Massie, the number one JUCO OL a couple of years ago, is on the clock. He is in danger of disappearing without having made any impact. Jerrell Powe has the best feet I've ever seen on a big man. Did that come out wrong? Should start the year 5-0.

                                                                                    May 15, 2010


Atlanta, Georgia

I saw greatness on May 13^th. Nick Saban came to Atlanta and spoke.  Apparently he wasn’t here to sign autographs or take pictures or answer questions or even acknowledge our presence. I wouldn’t say aloof, I would say laser-focused. And calm. It was the calm assuredness about the man that was most palpable.  

In 1976, my Father took me to an Alabama-Georgia game in Athens.  It was a hard sellout.  We were standing at the fence under the bridge when a man approached me and asked if I wanted to work inside. He went on to explain that he was a Sports Illustrated photographer and needed someone to carry his equipment on the sidelines.  Jackpot! Next thing I know I’m looking at Bear Bryant from about 5 yards away. I was just about to speak when that old Dinosaur turned and looked me right in the eye. I froze like a 15 year old boy.  I had a flash of that feeling when listening to Coach Saban’s speech.  I have met the man and he is not intimidating in the least. He is open and receptive and in a definite hurry. But when he begins to speak you realize that he is a genius in his chosen profession.  I mean Miles Davis type genius.

There was no gloating about State, conference or National Championships or Heisman winners or numbers of All-Americans or draftees. He never mentioned that his statue is being erected outside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Of particular interest to Auburn fans might be that he did not participate in a skit or show up in a Cadillac with an elephant trunk sticking out of the hood. I’m pretty sure that no one sat in the driveway and blew the horn, either.

 What we will bear witness to this year is the unavoidable FACT that Nick Saban knows more about the game of football-his brand of football-than all of us. Nick Saban is about to display to College Football America that he is king.  His puppet-master, under my thumb, Henry VIII, God-Complex approach to coaching will be one of the hotter topics this fall because almost every player who ventures between the white lines for Bama will be a Saban recruit.

You thought Marcel Darreus was a 3 star? Saban thought enough of him to play him as a true freshman. As a true junior, Mel Kiper has him 2^nd overall on the Big Board. Who you (yeah you) betting’ on,  Saban and Kiper or Jamie Newberg?  You thought Burton Scott was a five-star wide receiver who would play his career opposite Julio? Saban redshirted him and gave him a year to learn defense because he thinks he’s a safety with corner skills. Or is it a corner with safety skills? What I’m trying to say is he’s got great hips, great speed and he will knock your ass in the dirt. Most important is that he was hand -picked by Saban to play in the defensive secondary.

The whole “Process” will be unveiled. From the strength and conditioning program and the coach he chose to run it, to the offensive coordinator from the other side of the country that no one had ever heard of who managed to go unbeaten in the regular season with John Parker Wilson, in his first year.

Coach Saban will be extremely difficult to de-throne. That is my first prediction for the 2010 season.

 

                                                                                        May 6, 2010


Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia exits Spring and looks forward to the Fall of 2010 with a new Quarterback, a new defensive coordinator, a favorable schedule and a renewed sense of purpose. Mark Richt is sitting squarely on the hot seat in Athens and he knows it. That became obvious with his dismissal from the team of former QB Zach Roethlis-excuse me-Mettenberger, who was sent packing back to Watkinsville after allegations of sexual battery. Apparently unsupervised teenage boys, alcohol and college girls gone wild don't mix. Who knew?

Offense

Aaron Murray should begin the season as the replacement for Joe Cox as the starting QB. He will be tested early with September games against the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns, an improving Mississippi State team, Arkansas and South Carolina. If Georgia can navigate that minefield with one loss or less, it looks to be a promising season.

10 starters return around Murray and look for Mark Richt and Mike Bobo to begin the season with heavy emphasis on the running game. Washaun Ealey and Caleb King will be running behind a veteran offensive line anchored by Cordy Glenn, Clint Boling and Ben Jones. If Trinton Sturdivant can stop doing his Ken Griffey, Jr. impersonation for just one fall, this could be one of the better corps in the SEC. The return of Tanner Strickland would be helpful as well.

AJ Greene, Israel Troupe, Orson Charles, Tavares King, Rantavious Wooten and hopefully a healthy Kris Durham give Mike Bobo plenty of talented options when he decides to open it up.

Defense

Hold your breath and pray. New D-coordinator Todd Grantham has a new scheme (3-4) but I'm not sure if he has the personnel in place to run it. Georgia has many good athletes on the defensive side of the football and recently converted RB Richard Samuel to LB. There are some proven players over here-Bacarri Rambo, Brandon Boykin, Branden Smith (who has the look of a future star) and DeAngelo Tyson. I like the addition of Kwame Geathers (6/5-326 lbs) at NT but run-stuffers and pass-rushers must step up immediately.

Special Teams

Georgia's saving grace in 2010. Hands down, the most important player on this team is Drew Butler. He will be called on to flip the field against every opponent, on every punt and he is definitely capable. Look for an All-America season from him and a new hero to be recognized in Athens.

Kicker Blair Walsh is dependable and will keep UGA in a few games. Punt/Kick returners, AJ Green, Brandon Boykin and Branden Smith are explosive and exciting and will score points.

Georgia's toughest games this year are Florida, Auburn and Arkansas. South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Colorado, Louisiana Lafayette, Idaho State, Vandy, Kentucky and Georgia Tech are all beatable. With some spirited coaching and a little injury luck, this could be a special year in Athens.

 

                                                                                        April 20, 2010

Atlanta, Georgia

I watched Auburn's Spring game. I came away impressed by some things and less than impressed by most others. Overall, the glass is, at least, half full and I believe Auburn fans have plenty to look forward to in the upcoming season. Unfortunately spring football is over and we are left to play the 2010 season on message boards and call-in shows until early September. Better known in some circles as the "annual Red Sox swoon."

Since Auburn football seems to be concerned mostly about moving as fast as humanly possible these days, I'm going to write this article in blitzkrieg fashion. I will not be revealing statistics or offering concrete explanations of why I'm saying what I'm saying. In the alternative, I'm going to get a super-duper fresh hair cut, emphatically point and chew the hell out of my gum. Surely that will reflect that I know what I'm doing, right?

Things I Liked

Auburn has four QB's who could lead them to a minimum of 8 wins this year.

The wide receivers and the QB's have been excellently coached together. That tells me that Coaches Taylor and Malzahn are the real deal and they work well together.

Auburn's wide receivers are excellent at running routes and catching passes and making yards after the catch. They also hustle. Their blocking has improved.

Mario Fannin is really, really good.

The starting offensive line is boringly efficient (that is BIG compliment).

Quindarious Carr is underrated, but not for long.

Coleman is ready to go. He would play in the dark in an abandoned parking lot. He loves it.

Wes Byrum.

Not so Much

I saw defensive backs who did not want to tackle. That is a million times worse than missing a tackle or taking a bad angle. Elite D-1 programs do not have that type of player on the roster. I don't know or care if they were 1st, 2nd or last team. I don't care how many injured DB's are supposed to come back and be All-Stars. If they do come back healthy and have to leave the field for one play to tie their shoe, the Auburn D is susceptible. The secondary I saw is, in no way, ready for Ryan Mallett.

The defense is has made no noticeable improvement since playing Northwestern.

Ryan Shoemaker.

Overall talent and athleticism. Depth. Specifically on the defense.

 

So-So

Philip Lutzenkirchen is essentially the same player as Tommy Trott. Same speed, different day.

2nd team OL.

Cam Newton is no Vince Young. In regards to his talent he is somewhere between VY and that huge kid who plays QB for Texas A&M. He was not given more to do in the scrimmage because he doesn't have the ball fakes down just yet. In other words, he is still not clear on who to hand the ball to versus who to fake handing it off to. He absolutely must have his game together by September 9th.

 

Anyway, that is my take on it. Auburn will score points in 2010. Enought points to be above .500. Being a skeptic and prone to conspiracy theory (I've got my eye on you), I don't like all this hush-hush from Chizik. It accomplishes nothing. The latest example I would point to is Chizik being asked if Zac Etheridge would be available to play this year and he gave no indication, yes or no. The last time I saw this young man in uniform he was lying on a motorized cart with his head stabilized after taking a helmet to helmet hit. He lay motionless on the field for an eternity and had his facemask-not his helmet-removed while he lay there. He did not return to play for the remainder of the year. Etheridge, Aairon Savage and Mike McNeill are the three DB's who, according to Auburn fans, are going to be the prodigal sons of their defensive backfield this year. Chizik did say today that they were all injury free. Mike McNeill missed all of '09 with an injury and Savage has missed the past two years with injuries. Hell, even I can figure out that they are injury free by now. The most important thing happening in Auburn football for 2010 is the answer to the question "can these three come back and play?" If so, can they still run with speed? Can they get in and out of cuts to keep up with SEC receivers who are at least as good as Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachary? And lastly, will they be capable of repeatedly bringing the wood to running backs like Washaun Ealey, Caleb King, Mark Ingram, Brandon Bolden, Enrique Davis and whoever hasn't quit for Tennessee yet?

Auburn plays their 2010 schedule with four days preparation for their first SEC (road) game at Mississippi State. They play 11 games in a row. They play Clemson as one of those 11. In April, there is no need for me to make a prediction. My experience has been for the last several months that talking to an Auburn fan is a lot like listening to Lou Holtz talk about Notre Dame.

Next up...Arkansas

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                                                                                    April 10, 2010


Atlanta, Georgia
                                            
                                     "Bring all My Mules Out Here..." Ronnie Van Zant, Lynyrd Skynyrd

Of 85 scholarship players for the University of Alabama, 70 of them have been rated 4 or 5 star recruits by Scout or Rivals. For you actuary types, that is 82 percent. I thought about listing all 70 of them here as a surefire way to whip Bama Nation into a preseason frenzy, but it occurred to me that it would be WAY funnier to list the 15 or so players who weren't that highly rated. Let's start with 3* recruit Marcel Dareus. Or has he earned the right to be introduced as "BCS National Championship Game Defensive MVP, Marcel Dareus?" You remember him from January 7th, right? Putting the kill shot on Colt McCoy on Texas' first offensive series. Intercepting a pass just before halftime, applying the stiff-arm, doing a spin move and stopping to shoot his American Idol audition tape before walking into the end zone for what, I believe, was the deciding score.

Howze about these guys:

1. Greg McElroy- Still undefeated in high school and college. Sporting a National Championship ring on his left hand.

2. William Vlachos- My personal belief is that he is the best center in the SEC. In last year's SEC Championship game he executed the shotgun snap perfectly and REPEATEDLY beat Brandon Spikes to the corner to seal the inside for Richardson and Ingram.

3. Marquis Maze-A consistent deep threat and not half bad running a reverse. Marquis makes 'em pay for double teaming Julio or crowding the line to stop the running game. A 3 year contributor.

4. Darius Hanks- Another 3 year contributor. Precision routes, great hands and concentration. If he gets his hands on it...

5. Brad Smelley- Came on late in his freshman year. He blocks, he gets open, he catches the ball in key situations and he moves the chains. You can't expect too much more from an H-Back.

6. Preston Dial- I really like Preston Dial. Another 3 year contributor. Only caught 4 passes last year but recently was quoted as saying "as long as we're winning, I'm fine with it." Caught 5 passes in Bama's first Spring Scrimmage.

7. Damion Square- Got playing time on the DL as a true freshman until he went down with a season ending knee injury. Has already rehabbed to the point that he is participating in Spring Drills and is reportedly pushing for a starting spot over Senior Luther Davis. Folks, that is a high motor.

8. Brian Motley- Where would Bama be without Brian Motley? He has stepped in and raised the level of competition of his teammates at NT, OG and Center. In today's scrimmage he played a few snaps at free safety. Nah, I'm kidding.

9. Anthony Steen- On nobody's radar out of high school. A freshman, he is presently running 2nd team for Joe Pendry's offensive line. Reportedly benches in the high fives.

10. Chance Warmack- Made his college decision early and showed up on campus early. I met this young man, along with most of the other recruits, in the players room before the 2008 Iron Bowl. (One of these days I'll tell ya'll a story about how many cookies DJ Fluker can hold between his thumb and middle finger. Roughly 20-25) Humble and serious, he may as well just wear a shirt that says "future all SEC Guard." A road grader of the first degree.

Nick Saban has turned Alabama football into an absolute freak show. He likes to say that a teams success is somewhat dependent (I'm paraphrasing) on the bottom 40 players on the roster. First of all, Nick is overstating it just a tad but some of those guys listed above are in Alabama's bottom 40. The scarier part is that they are accompanied by a truckload of 4* players who are working hard, being coached by some of the best and being brought along by a bunch of teammates who are playing as one, and have accomplished the highest goal in this sport. If it weren't for 6 consecutive bye week SEC opponents this year, I'm not sure it would even be close.

P. S. I'm aware that a couple of these guys were awarded late stars