SEC Saturday Recap

THE BATTLE OF THE HOTTEST HOTSEAT

Georgia and Mark Richt win 27 -13
I guessed 38 - 17 Dawgs.  I'm 1-0

What we learned:
You don't really want to play Georgia this year, they're not top tier of the SEC, but my goodness there's talent all over the offensive side of the football.  Isaiah Crowell is great, he had an incredible first half, and Malcolm Mitchell can make a defensive back look silly in a hurry.  It's going to be tough to beat Georgia over the next few years, I'd be really surprised if the Dawgs don't make a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship in Aaron Murray's college career.  Ole Miss is much better on Defense than I thought, but in typical Houston Nutt fashion, an onside kick, a few trick plays and it was almost a game.  This is Nutt's last year in Oxford, so we better start thinking about who's going to be the next guy at Ole Miss.  See Tuesday's Post!

THE BATTLE FOR SCHOLASTIC DOMINANCE

The Ole Ball Coach got it done at home, but it was ugly.  South Carolina 21 - Vanderbilt 3,
I guessed South Carolina 34 - Vanderbilt 10, I'm 2-0

What we learned:
South Carolina is in some trouble, or maybe Vanderbilt is really going to cause some trouble for opposing offenses.  Stephen Garcia threw four interceptions, FOUR, in this game, and only one touchdown.  Luckily for the Gamecocks Marcus Lattimore is incredible, Vandy did a good job limiting running yards, but Lattimore had three catches for 73 yards and a touchdown.  Lattimore makes the move up the Heisman board with his 150 yard, 2 touchdown performance.  The Gamecocks cannot continue to play like this and expect to be a contender in the East with Florida playing so well.  We'll find out a lot about South Carolina when they go to Fayetteville to take on the Hogs on Nov 5th, then right back to take on Florida at home the next week.  Auburn, Kentucky, and Tennessee shouldn't be problems, but if Spurrier doesn't get the Gamecocks in shape soon, they'll be looking up at Florida in the standings.

IF ONLY THIS WERE PLAYED ON HARDWOOD

Florida went to Lexington and took care of business, Florida 48 - Kentucky 10
I guessed Florida 38 - Kentucky 10, I'm 3-0

What we learned:
Jeff Demps is really fast, and the Florida I watched the last two saturdays is going to really give Alabama problems when the Tide travel down to Gainesville next week.  I still want to see Florida up against the upper tier of the SEC before I proclaim to be sold on the job Muschamp is doing, but it appears as though Florida is headed in the right direction, especially on defense.  Kentucky should shoot for 1 SEC win and I'm not sure they're gonna get that.

SPEED VS SPEED/POWER

Morgantown was crazy, but LSU is too good, LSU won 47 - 21
I guessed LSU 31 - WVU - 20, I'm 4-0

What we learned:
LSU's defense can really fly to the ball and they're the most athletic defense in college football, maybe the best defense in college football, maybe.  Jarrett Lee looked really good, especially on the first drive, throwing the football.  He's still not my #1 pick of the SEC Quarterbacks, but he really handled the environment well and managed the game as more of a playmaker than usual.  I did see a rare missed field goal by LSU, but the kickoff return by Claiborne and shear physicality of the LSU special teams was so obvious during the game.  What you notice as the difference between LSU and Bama is not the personell, both are so talented and so athletic on defense, but it's how they play.  Saban is a discipline guy, each defender gets a job, do your job, trust your teammate to do their job and don't let the other team gain one single yard!!!  Whereas, Les Miles, runs guys on and off the field, let's the guys just do whatever they want, it's organized chaos and it works!!!  The reason LSU forces so many turnovers and makes teams look silly is because Les Miles allows the defensive playmakers to break all the rules, they go out there with a recommendation, not a job, but a hint of what to do when we run this defense.  It's like there are six rovers on the field at all times and the other five games are playing assignment defense, its just incredible.  I've never seen players take so many risks, but it pays off in huge fashion, because quarterbacks know what defensive backs are told, for instance, "if you don't have safety help you try to make a play on the ball, but only if you know for certain you won't miss, you won't get in trouble for allowing the completion and tackling on the spot."  Not this LSU team, the corners rarely have safety help, the safeties are in the backfield, so the opposing quarterback knows he's got a throw where if he is somewhat accurate the corner will allow the completion and make the tackle after the catch.  Most QB's make that throw with confidence because they've done it SO many times, except when you throw it against LSU it's either a pick or a touchdown, the corner is break underneath the route and try to cut the ball off everytime.  So either make a perfect throw or throw it out where the receiver can go get it, NOPE, bad call, a perfect throw is your only option, if you throw it out in front of the receiver with a little air the LSU defender is faster, stronger, more physical, and plays the ball better in the air than your receiver, it's a pick even more times.  The windows against Bama are small and close quickly, but the windows against LSU are wide and seem easy, that's until a really fast guy in Purple and Gold is running the other direction with the football.
I really want West Virginia in the SEC, they're not playing SEC caliber football just yet, but they're very good and that environment in Morgantown is what you would expect of SEC schools.  The fans are passionate, they love their football, the state has only one major college football program (apologies to Marshall), it's not a big state or a wealthy state, it's just a state like Alabama or Louisiana, if tragedy strikes the community takes care of each other.  The whole experience on Saturday night watching that game in Morgantown was fantastic, and bravo to LSU for being able to go in there and take care of business.  If the SEC could get out of their own way and realize the gem of a program West Virginia is, they'd see that it makes perfect sense to bring them into the East and allow the power the conference brings to increase their athletic budget to SEC levels and make the necessary improvements to compete in the SEC.

THE BATTLE TO SEE WHO'S GOT LESS PERSONALITY

Saban and Bama got it done against the Hogs in a big way, Bama 38 - Ark 14
I guessed Bama 27 - Ark 17, I'm 5-0 in my first week of picking games.

It looked like the Hogs were going to give the Tide trouble early, but it didn't last long.  It was 10 - 7 with just five minutes left in the first half, Arkansas had just held Alabama at the goalline and forced a field goal.  Wilson was throwing on second down to a Greg Childs who hasn't been able to get the reps needed with Wilson to be confident going into Tuscaloosa.  A misunderstood route or a timing error and Bama picks off Wilson and returns it for six.  A halftime score of 17 - 7 isn't a bad thing for the Hogs, but it was a crushing blow to the momentum they had gained with the goalline stand.  In the first half, Petrino and Wilson were picking up yards with ease and it looked like Alabama was going to need to score points to keep up with the Razorback offense.  As Saban does, he adjusted at halftime and the Hogs didn't get to see the ball much after that.
Alabama came out after halftime and took all those easy throws away.  They absolutely stuffed the run, controlled time of possession, limited Arkansas' big play receivers to small gains, and got all the momentum with a punt return for a TD after the first possession of the second half.  It was all Tide after that, but there were some very good things for Hog fans to take away from the game.

#1 - Tyler Wilson is going to be a GREAT quarterback, he's not quite there yet, but if you remember Mallett's first SEC road game (yes, the one, at Bama), Arkansas only put 7 points on the board and Mallett had a terrible time finding open receivers.  Wilson outplayed Mallett in his first SEC road start, he did exactly what you thought he would, he was 22 of 35 for 185 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.  The problem with the yards wasn't Wilson, it was Alabama's secondary, normally Arkansas excels in a category called YAC's, Yards After Catches, well other than one long Ronnie Wingo YAC the Hogs were tackled almost immediately after catches and any screen play had trouble getting out of the backfield.  You have to give the gameball to Alabama's secondary for holding the talented Arkansas receivers to short gains when they did make catches.

#2 - The difference in the game was how much better Alabama was up front on both sides of the ball.  Arkansas was playing shorthanded without their best Defensive lineman Jake Bequette, but when Tank Wright went down early it was going to be tough sledding.  The one thing you can't gameplan for is injuries, and between Knile Davis, Greg Childs, Jake Bequette, Tank Wright, Jarius Wright, Dennis Johnson, and Isaac Madison all struggling through injuries in the first four games of the year it has proved difficult for Petrino to find consistency with his units.  The defensive line for the Hogs looked lost at times and rightfully so, the two best players on the d-line were sitting on the Razorback sideline watching.  You don't expect players like D.D. Jones and Robert Thomas to be the one's applying the bulk of the pressure from their defensive tackle positions, so it wasn't a surprise when the Hogs couldn't get to McCarron and cause turnovers without their best pass rushers.  The Hogs will be better in the future as Petrino continues to place an emphasis on recruiting to the defensive line.
  The Hogs looked very poor on the Offensive line as Wilson took a severe amount of punishment throughout the game.  At one point it looked like Wilson had gotten run over by the lawn mower, his jersey was frayed all over and it had a green stains all over the back and shoulders.  This offensive line is going to be very good, but it's going to take a few more weeks to gel like Petrino wants them to.  Alabama's defensive front seven is the real deal, I'd be surprised if a single one of them don't play on Sundays.  Bama's defense is good up front, really good in the secondary, and going to be very hard to score against this year.

#3 - Arkansas has a tough game against Texas A&M and then they come home to take on Auburn before a bye week.  If the Hogs can get a W in Dallas and then come back and take care of their home turf against Auburn it could still be a special season in Fayetteville.  Don't forget, the Hogs lost to Alabama and Auburn early last year and still made it to a BCS bowl.  Next week against A&M is a big one for these Razorbacks!

The SEC is still wide open, but it's going to be very tough to take down Alabama and LSU this year, they're looking extremely tough.  I made a pick last week and I'll stick to it until I'm definitely wrong.  I still feel as though LSU and Arkansas will go into their annual Battle for the Golden Boot with one SEC loss each.  The winner will take the SEC West and play South Carolina from the East.  Right now it's looking a lot like Alabama, Florida, and LSU are the teams to beat, but last week was only one week and College Football has proven to bring some surprises.