Les Miles Does Not Give a Damn, Neither Do I

In regards to the extremely explicit language please do not tell my mother. If she finds out I am almost certain that I will not be getting any Christmas presents this year.

Now to the game.

Wow. Breathe it in! I do not care if the game was nearly a week ago I am still recovering! Few things are a satisfying as beating Florida and a head coach who makes it a habit to have his Florida Gators stomp on the eye of the Tiger at Tiger Stadium. Yes sir, I hate Mr. Urban Meyer and his classless antics.

For an entire week LSU was the butt of every clock joke out there. The nation watched as Les Miles yet again failed in Clock Management 101 during the Tennessee game. LSU won after it was determined the Volunteers had too many players on the field during the last play of the game. Despite the victory, Les Miles and LSU were still the laughing stock of college football.

One week later LSU found itself in a battle with the Florida Gators. Despite having controlled the entire game, LSU still found itself trailing late in the fourth quarter. After Florida took a 29-26 lead, LSU got the ball with 3:21 when the Mad Hatter came to life again.

The playcalling was questionable up to that point and by no means were my emotions under control during that final drive. Shortly after a pass interference call on Florida that gave LSU the ball on the Florida 43 yard line, Les Miles seemed to again be reverting back to his clock management blunders. On three straight plays LSU ran the ball for a total of seven yards. LSU was faced with a 4th and 3 at the Florida 36 yard line.

I saw it happen and I witnessed it unfold. Miles and his staff were sending the field goal unit out. Instead of going for it on 4th and 3, Les Miles would rather have his kicker attempt a 53 yard field goal. I was numb and dumbfounded that LSU's coach thought this was the best course of action. My language was that of a sailor and my blood pressure was definitely rivaling my grandma's. Seconds before a delay of game LSU called a timeout with 35 seconds left.

I was convinced. LSU fans were convinced. Florida was convinced. The nation was convinced that Les Miles and the LSU Tigers were opting to kick a 53 yard field rather than go for it on 4th and 3. After all the Mad Hatter had just burned 40 seconds off the clock.

The team came out on the field and got in position. From a TV screen 53 yards seems like a mile. I waited and then one moment, one instance before the ball snapped it hit me for one smidgen of a second. For one nanosecond of time a thought popped in my head. I have no idea why this thought came to my head nanoseconds before the ball was snapped, but it did. Somehow this thought came in my head and settled and it somehow made sense.

It hit me. "I think he might fake it." And a moment later the ball was snapped and our world of reason and order was flipped upside down by the Mad Hatter. I was a deer in the headlights as I watched the play. It looked like the ball had no chance after holder Derek Helton lobbed it too soon, but somehow the ball bounced. It seemed the Florida defense was just going to get kicker Josh Jasper right before the first down marker, but somehow he got the first.

Les Miles fooled everyone. He fooled the nation, he fooled Urban Meyer and the Gators, he fooled his own fans and he even fooled his own players. One week after being subject to so much criticism Miles found himself in yet another crucial moment when he decided to yet again roll the dice.

The ensuing chaotic review was even more gut-wrenching than the actual play. When the ruling on the field was officially confirmed the reality of the situation officially set in.

Les Miles may be erratic and have press conferences of incoherent talk, but Les Miles is no idiot. He sold it to everyone. We all thought we knew what was unfolding. The clock was ticking and Miles was yet again struggling to get things taken care of. In a moment of panic he opted for a 53 yard field goal. He was going to put it on the kicker's leg, but as we later found out something happened during that timeout when Miles changed his mind and rolled the dice.

The fake field goal first down was only the beginning. On the next play Jarrett Lee found Terrence Toliver for a 28 yard gain. After a spiked ball and an incomplete pass, Jarrett Lee threw a jump ball to Terrence Toliver in the corner of the end zone. In one last moment of chaos for the Mad Hatter and the LSU Tigers, Toliver made the grab and came down with one foot in bounds. Touchdown. Ball game. LSU wins 33-29.

Halfway through the season LSU stands at 6-0. Even now, I am still uncertain what this team is ultimately capable of, but after their best team effort of the year (and yes I know improvements can be made) and after seeing the Riverboat Gambler resurface for the first time since the 2007 I suddenly feel a sort of, I don't know, confidence that if LSU plays to their best of ability they can beat anyone on their schedule. More importantly, I think LSU can do this.

There is something encapsulating about Les Miles. I am well aware that in a month I might hate his guts and curse his coaching, but for now I can acknowledge and accept that this is a coach who is erratic is his methods but determined in his ultimate goal - to win the game. Period.

Geaux Tigers!

Les Miles is Sitting on a Loaded Pistol

College football will be upon us in less than a month and like any other year predictions are abundant. We all think we know how our team is going to do because of x, y and z. We feel our opinion is worth listening to because of our involvement in alumni relations, high school football or just because we have been watching football for most our lives. The story is always the same. So without further ado I thought I would give my breakdown on the 2010 LSU Tigers football team. After all why would you not want to listen to my insightful predictions for the upcoming season?

For the first three years at LSU Les Miles was on cloud nine. He won a national championship and compiled an impressive 34-6 record that included going 19-5 in the SEC. But in the past two seasons that record has dipped to a disappointing 17-9, including 8-8 in the SEC. How did it get so bad so fast in Baton Rouge for Les Miles? And why should there be hope for the Tigers this coming year?

Whatever improvements LSU made in 2009 from 2008 (an improved defense), there was equally as many setbacks (lack of an offense). The question is does LSU have the mindset and skills to improve and avoid another season of disappointment? The answer is yes and here are the main reasons.

1. UNDERDOG ROLE

For the past however many months the national media has taken turns either a) ragging on Les Miles b) criticizing Jordan Jefferson's potential or c) highlighting why LSU can not sniff Alabama's jock strap. (Do not get me wrong last year I spent a lot of time yelling at Miles and Jefferson.) These criticisms on the football program have in turn lit a fire under Les Miles and the LSU football team. When your program is nationally dissed (4th in the SEC West at the SEC Media Day) a team comes together. It has happened to LSU teams in the past. Add in the fact that Les Miles has his back against the wall and I have to believe things will turn around. There's a reason he won 34 games in his first three seasons. Sure he had "Saban's players," but he still won 34 games. Look at Miami Florida. Randy Shannon has a heck of a lot of talent, but his teams have really never done much. Bottom line: Miles was a winner in the beginning. That was not a fluke. He needs to find that magic he use to show on the sidelines.


2. QUARTERBACK GROWTH

Since Ryan Perrilloux's debacle LSU has not had a strong quarterback behind center. Far too often inexperience has gotten the best of the LSU quarterback. Despite Jordan Jefferson's shortcomings in 2009 (held on to the ball too long and accuracy issues) he still showed moments of promise. Say what you want about the guy he still finished with a respectable 17 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Add in the fact that he was the 5th most efficient passer in the SEC you can see why I truly believe he will drastically improve this year. Jefferson was one of the youngest quarterbacks to be starting in SEC history. When Russell and Flynn came to LSU they were not thrown onto the field. They had time to slowly understand the offense and better yet go on the field when they were ready. Jefferson did not have this and I feel like this is all too commonly overlooked. With a year under his belt I feel LSU's offense will be much more in sync because of Jefferson's maturity and the emergence of a much better offensive line.

3. REVAMPED OFFENSIVE LINE

In 2009 the LSU offensive line was surprisingly one of the worst in the SEC. Better yet, it cemented an LSU offense that ranked 107th nationally. This is the biggest question mark and the biggest thing I am most concerned with. Last year's offensive line for the majority of the season stunk. It never got into a groove so two things suffered immensely: first, with no offensive line there is no run game. Meaning LSU fans got very familiar with 2nd and 9s instead of 2nd and 4s. That's crucial when you really break that down. With a young quarterback, whether or not it will be a scoring drive starts with progress on first down. And more times than not on first down for LSU in 2009 they ran the ball. And more times than not LSU did a poor job moving the ball. Secondly, with a poor offensive line and an inexperienced quarterback you are probably going to have a) a quarterback on the run a lot and b) an inept offense that struggled the majority of the season. Both of these were true. This aspect can not be overlooked. Even a slightly improved Jefferson and a more in sync offensive line will greatly benefit the LSU offense. I am confident in both.


4. BILLY GONZALES'S IMPACT

Former Florida wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales is one of brightest spots this past offseason for the Tigers. Gonzales is widely known for the successes he had with utilizing Percy Harvin. I think what excites me the most is how LSU has a player of equal mold to Harvin - Russell Shepard. Shepard is a serious threat every time he steps on the field. The spring game for the Tigers was not the greatest showcase of LSU's potential, but the one bright spot for Shepard's ability to consistently get open. Add in the fact LSU has Reuben Randle and Terrence Toliver and you can see why I expect to see great improvement from the wide receivers group. Gonzales is one of the best in the business at getting his players to maximize their potential meaning the three-headed monster of Shepard, Randle and Tolliver should cause havoc for any team in the SEC.


5. PETERSON ISLAND AND MO

Patrick Peterson is not a human. He is not a normal person like you or me. Patrick Peterson is a freak. He origins are as mysterious as Captain America or Superman. Peterson is 6'1" 222 pounds. Take that in for second. LSU has a cornerback that is 222 pounds and he has not lost any speed. Like I said he is a freak. (Just to give you an idea Darrelle Revis is 5'11" 198 pounds.) Some people have suggested moving him to safety. My question - why? With Peterson being the shutdown corner he is that's one less side of the field LSU has to worry about, better yet if gives them options. The other corner is Morris "Mo" Claiborne. Claiborne has been having an impressive camp. With two shutdown corners LSU will be able to blitz that much more and that makes all the difference. One of the issues with LSU's defense last year was the struggles LSU's cornerbacks (other than Peterson) had throughout the season. One of the glaring problems was how LSU gave up big 3rd downs. Having one superb cornerback and another up and coming cornerback gives Chavis options on third downs.


6. BACK TO BASICS DEFENSIVE LINE

The offensive line stunk last year and the defensive line stunk. I would go as far as to say the defensive line was worse. It's like dominoes when you really put together LSU's 2009 problems. Without an effective pass rush the run defense was lousy therefore the rest of the defense had to play that much better. (Now keep in mind LSU's defense was not terrible last year, but they were not spectacular. Still improvements need to be made. These are the hopeful solutions.) Of all the young players getting on the field this season, I am most excited about the defensive line. There's Sam Montgomery, Chris Davenport and Josh Downs to name a few. Add in senior Drake Nevis and there's reason to believe this unit can rebound.
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Playing the underdog role, Jefferson's quarterback growth, a revamped offensive line, Billy Gonzales's impact, Peterson Island and Mo and a back to basics defensive line are the six reasons I am optimistic about LSU's 2010 season. Now believe me I'm well aware of the past struggles and I am well aware of the uneasiness about LSU football this season. I know things could get worse for LSU in a hurry, but I look at Miles and I look at Jefferson and I think had LSU won that game against Ole Miss or Penn State, just one more game, all the talk would of been how Miles got his 4th season of at least 10 wins. Now granted things did get bad last season, but it's interesting to note how drastically things switch. If there is one thing that has the biggest impact on the LSU's season I think, no question, it would have to be Jordan Jefferson's maturity. How that guy changed his game this offseason will be directly correlated with LSU's final record. (By the way I read Jefferson watched highlights of every single play he was involved in last year. He took notes on what he did wrong. And at SEC Media Day one of the most impressive things spectators commented on was the maturity of Jordan Jefferson. Whether or not a good interview translates into a good quarterback remains to be seen.)

I think after seeing Les Miles's most recent press conference where the Mad Hatter was displaying a childish grin I have to agree with my dad. Les Miles is seating on a loaded pistol and no one knows it.

Geaux Tigers!


SEASON PREDICTIONS

Here is my call. I am sick of thinking I will jinx the team. The Saints won the Super Bowl so the word jinx is dead...I think.


North Carolina

This is the first game of the season meaning the team will be rusty. I am willing to bet that 95% of my age group is going to be cursing the TV if LSU does not score within 38 seconds into the game. This will be mostly a defensive game. North Carolina has a good defense, so does LSU. The biggest factor in this game will be LSU's ability to neutralize UNC's amazing defensive line. Look for the Tigers to pull out a close one.

LSU 19-17



@ Vanderbilt

The Tigers will travel to Vanderbilt to take on a Commodore team that just lost their head coach about a month ago. Vandy will be down this year despite returning quarterback Larry Smith. The LSU run game will be pivotal in this game. I think Michael Ford and Richard Murphy propel LSU to blow up this game.

LSU 27-7



Mississippi State

Last year the Bulldogs really thought they had LSU. Unfortunately they could not get six inches. What a shame. 2010's game will not be a blowout. I do not expect LSU to struggle in their home opener. It will be a close game at the half, but the second half the Tigers put on the after burners. Jefferson and Shepard cause havoc while The Freak bulldozes a quarterback.

LSU 31-14



West Virginia

It's been a while since some Tiger Stadium magic has taken place. WV comes ready to play and jumps on LSU. Jefferson plays a terrific game. LSU's defense struggles against Noel Devine. WV has a fourth quarter lead, but Jefferson leads the Tigers back for a thrilling victory.

LSU 34-30



Tennessee

A week after a dramatic win against the Mountaineers, LSU gets jumped on by a struggling Vols team. Tigers defense makes some key second half stops that swings the momentum. Shepard is again a huge factor and a nightmare for defenses.

LSU 27-21



@Florida

The Swamp has not been kind to LSU in recent years, unfortunately I do not see that changing. For the third week in a row LSU finds itself in a hole, but the Tigers are unable to shake a 14-0 deficit. The offensive line struggles in the trenches against the Gators. Also, the run game does not get going and Jefferson has to lead the team to victory on his own. Not the Tigers day.

Florida 34-16



McNeese State

LSU demolishes yet another Louisiana team.

LSU 44-14



@Auburn

LSU travels to Hell to play the Auburn Tigers. Game comes down to the four quarter where Auburn scores a late touchdown to crush LSU's dreams. Tigers play very well in defeat.

Auburn 24-21



Alabama

The entire state of Louisiana eagerly awaits for the Game of the Year. Les Miles and his crew do push ups in broken glass to get pumped for the game. Unlike 2008, Bama's last time in Tiger Stadium, LSU does not have a pick-six quarterback leading the team. Jefferson gets LSU out to a fast start. Russell Shepard and Reuben Randle cause trouble for Alabama all afternoon. Alabama makes a fourth quarter rally only to be denied by Chavis's defense. Score one for the good guys!

LSU 28-23



Louisiana-Monroe

Like I said, another Louisiana blowout. Yawn.

LSU 35-7



Ole Miss

LSU redeems themselves after back-to-back years of falling to the Rebels. The running game allows LSU's play action to get a couple scores. Even Masoli can not rally the Rebels after an impressive third quarter showing by the Tigers.

LSU 31-19



@Arkansas

The Razorbacks get redemption after last year's dramatic overtime loss. LSU defense fails to make a key stop towards the end of the game. Jefferson has a solid performance, Peterson has a great game, but is not enough to rally the Tigers.

Arkansas 28-20


Final call: 9-3

Even with only a one game improvement from 2009 I still think LSU makes great strides in 2010.

Looking Back on My College Football Predictions

Making predictions has never been my best asset, but still it remains something I hope to get better at. With that said, I would like to look back at the predictions I made at the beginning of this 2009 college football season.

Then: Florida WILL go undefeated and they WILL win the National Championship.
(I keep looking and when I really evaluate this team I do not see them tripping up once.)

Now: It really is strange when you think about how the Tebow Show is over. I was confident the Gators would prevail over the Crimson Tide. All summer and year there was so much certainty that the Gators were going to win the title. I bought into it. Sure the offense was stagnant in some games, but the team kept winning. Tebow would not fall. And then it happened. Alabama hit Florida in the mouth like no one has ever done against Tebow. In 60 minutes of football it was all over.


Then: By the end of October the California Bears WILL no longer be in the dark horse National Championship talk.
(I have been hearing all summer how this Cal team is going to make some noise. I do not see this year being any different from the other years we, the fans, were lead to believe this.)

Now: I could not have been more right about this prediction. I saw this coming from 10 miles away. At 3-0 the Golden Bears traveled to Oregon only to lose 42-3. The next week the team lost their homecoming to USC 30-3. Poof! Two games, two losses, National Title talk dead. After all the hype California finished the season with 4 losses and an invite to the Poinsetta Bowl to play Utah. Ouch.


Then: Ohio State WILL beat USC on September 12th.
(Matt Barkley is 18 years old. He turns 19 on September 8th. He has never started a college game. I do not think in his second game of the year he will be able to pull out a victory in front of 100,000+ screaming fans. I do not care how good he was in high school and I'm sure he will have a fine college career. But at the end of the day I do not think with such little experience he will be able to beat the Buckeyes.)

Now: They had them! Ohio State had USC! The crowd was there, the team was there, but the Buckeyes could not stop freshman Matt Barkley from driving down the field and pulling out an 18-15 victory. Even worse, Terrelle Pryor, the proclaimed savior, turned the ball over on downs with a minute left. Wasn't Pryor brought in to win games like these?


Then: Baylor behind the nation's best kept secret, quarterback Robert Griffin, will pull off a big upset this year, but Baylor will not going bowling this year.

Now: Poor Baylor. Had Griffin not torn his ACL in week three against Northwestern State this team would of gone bowling. Griffin was already putting up some ridiculous numbers. Baylor was 2-1 when Griffin was playing, when he was not they were 1-7. Let's hope Griffin comes back strong in 2010.


Then: Miami Florida's head coach Randy Shannon will be fired at the end of the year as his team will again under perform. The Hurricanes will finish with 5 losses.

Now: What do I really know? Geez I never thought Miami would start the season the way they did. So what if the Hurricanes got screwed out of a quality bowl game, Shannon's crew still finished 9-3. More importantly The U is on the rise behind Jacory Harris.


Then: Michigan will not lose more than 4 games.

Now: Another "great" call by me. I thought I was on track when Michigan started 4-0, including a win over a "good" Notre Dame team. In the team's final 8 games the Wolverines went 1-7. RichRod has one more season to right the ship or he will be unemployed. It's still appalling to think that UM is 8-16 in the past two years! Despite that awful record, freshman QB Tate Forcier does look like the real deal.


Then: Once again Texas will just sneak by Oklahoma State. Much like the Fiesta Bowl, Colt McCoy will lead Texas for a late score at the end of the game to beat the Cowboys.

Now: How am I so bad at predicting? This game was never close. Texas destroyed the Cowboys 41-14. My only salvation is knowing it was only 3-0 Texas after the first quarter. That's not bad, right?


Then: Oklahoma beats Texas. Oklahoma loses two games. Texas goes to the Big 12 Championship and then the National Championship.

Now: This was about a half and half. I was right about Texas winning the Big 12 and heading to the National Championship, but on the other side I was completely wrong. Oklahoma lost five games (not two) and the Sooners did not beat Texas (it was close, but they lost 16-13). Keep in mind there's no telling how this Oklahoma team does if Sam Bradford doesn't get injured the first week.


Then: Notre Dame will be getting a BCS bowl after they finish the season with only 2 losses. And yes they will lose to USC again.

Now: You know when a bad car crash happens you tell yourself not to look, but you still do? That's EXACTLY what these predictions are like. They are so off, but at the same time I can not stop reading them. Short and sweet - I was right about ND falling to USC yet again, but the whole BCS talk is disturbing to think about it. After the USC loss the wheels really started coming off the wagon. The four game losing streak to end the season (Navy, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Stanford) was pathetic. But because of the team's lousy play they were "rewarded" with the hidden gem of the college football world - Brian Kelly.


Then: Alabama will lose at the most 2 games during the regular season. Ole Miss will lose only one when the Bengals come into town. Ole Miss will go to the SEC Championship Game.

Now: FAIL! Alabama never lost a game and the LSU did not beat Ole Miss. Even better Ole Miss never went to the SEC Championship Game. Wow these predictions only get worse. Also I am guilty, I did start to believe Ole Miss was legit.


Then: LSU will have their swagger back this year, but a very hard schedule will keep them out of the SEC Championship Game.

Now: Meh. A tough schedule was a big reason LSU did not qualify for the SEC Championship along with a number of other things such as erratic playcalling, an erroneous missed interception against Alabama, and the ultimate brain fart against Ole Miss. But with all that said LSU could of found itself in a BCS bowl had Les Miles not gone brain dead in the waning seconds against Ole Miss. Okay new subject that still gets me mad.


Then: Rutgers will not win the Big East. Pittsburgh will take the conference and the coveted BCS bowl bid.

Now: I was so close! Rutgers never lived up to expectations so that whole "BCS berth" talk was flushed down the toilet early on. As far as Pittsburgh goes they had a 21 point lead at home on an undefeated Cincinnati team. Even worse they had a six point lead with a minute half left. The one time the defense needed to step up they failed.


Then: West Virginia will have 5 losses this year. Speculation will begin about whether Bill Stewart is the right guy for the job.

Now: This one surprised me. Really thought WV would take a step back with Pat White gone. The team only has three losses going into a Gator Bowl match up with Florida State. If the Mountineers can pull out a victory a 10 win season will silence some critics...for now.


Then: Alabama will beat Virginia Tech 31-14. Tech has a defense, but the offense will not be able to do anything against Alabama's defense.

Now: This game was a lot closer than I expected. It was not until the 4th quarter that the Tide pulled away. Once again Alabama used the first game of the season to send a message.


Then: Texas A&M has another losing season and surprisingly gives Mike Sherman one more year.

Now: A&M finished with a 6-6 record meaning they barely missed out on having another losing season. The Aggies showed great potential against the Longhorns when they nearly pulled off the upset of the year. Having QB Jerrod Johnson back along with freshman running back Christine Michael will give some fans a reason to give A&M a sleeper label for 2010.


Then: Dan LeFevour. He's what some would call the "poor man's Tim Tebow." He will lead Central Michigan to the MAC Title and to go along with that Houston will win the Conference-USA.

Now: Just when I thought I had no hope I pull this one out! LeFevour continued to set records his entire senior year. To cement a great career LeFevour led CMU to a MAC Title over Ohio. On the other hand I was awfully close with Houston, but East Carolina beat them in the CUSA Title game 38-32. So close!


Then: Sorry Archie Griffin, but you no longer have the record by yourself. Tim Tebow will win the Heisman trophy.

Now: At the beginning of the year it seemed destined for the trophy to go to either Sam Bradford or Tim Tebow, instead Alabama's Mark Ingram stole the show. Ingram won the closest race ever by beating Stanford's Toby Gerhart by only 28 points.

Then: Oregon looked pretty impressive in their bowl victory against Oklahoma State so I will have to take the Ducks. Look for Oregon to end Boise State's 49-game regular-season home winning streak. It will be decided by one score.

Now: You know what would of been funny? Had I predicted a fight at the end of the game. Sadly I didn't. Even worse I was dead wrong about this prediction. Boise State dominated Oregon 19-8.

Enjoy the bowl season, and yes, I too am very excited for the San Diego County Credit Union Bowl. And by the way how far away are we from having a very awkward bowl name? For instance, the Viagara Bowl, the Good Housekeeping Magazine Bowl, the Playtex Bowl, or (drum roll)the Beggin' Strips Bowl.

Trust me we are not that far away!

College Football Analysis After Week 11

With the season coming to a close the season is really taking shape as to who is really legit and who was nothing more than overhype.

24 LSU 16 Louisiana Tech

I have seen a lot of games at Tiger Stadium, but this one takes the cake as the worst game I have ever seen in person. One week after a devastating loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide, LSU came out of the gates flat. The team overlooked a pumped up Louisiana Tech team and in turn LSU was fighting for four quarters to win. Two main things stuck out about this game - Jarrett Lee and LSU's game plan.

Jarrett Lee: Last year Lee threw 16 interceptions as a freshman at quarterback. Of those 16 interceptions, 7 were returned for touchdowns. It was a horrific experience for Lee, the team, and the LSU fan base. But we were told that was water under the bridge. We were told that Lee had matured and that last year was no reason to cast him in the fire. He was a 19 year old freshman for crying out loud. If anything this Louisiana Tech game was the biggest game of his career. When the clock struck zero Lee's stats was appalling. He finished 7 of 22 for 105 yards against a 3-7 Louisiana Tech team! I never expected Lee to play lights out (he is the backup after all), but I did expect to see improvement from last year and I did expect him to show LSU that he indeed does have lots of potential for the future.

I saw neither. I saw a deer in the headlights quarterback who, outside the first couple of drives, really struggled. I really must say I was blown away on the lack of progress Lee showed on the field Saturday. He has no confidence in himself and when a play breaks down he panics. Before you know it the ball is sailing out of bounds again. Sure that's better than a pick six but there comes a certain point when you have to say, 'What are you doing?' And worse his teammates do not have confidence in him. After what seemed like the 100th overthrown ball to Brandon Lafell, Lafell ripped off his chin strap in frustration. When he does get a throw off Lee's pass seems to hang in the air for an unbelievable amount of time.

I hope Jarrett Lee has a great life and turns out to be a great father with a successful career, but I do not think (or want) him to be LSU's quarterback. He does not have it. If he truly wants to continue pursuing a career as a quarterback he needs to transfer because I honestly do not see any reason to think things will change for the better.

The second thing I wanted to talk about deals LSU's offensive game plan. In short the game plan sucked. Period. I am still baffled as to why offensive coordinator Gary Crowton called some of the plays he called. At quarterback is Jarrett Lee, a man who has no confidence in himself. After a nightmarish freshman year Lee is now terrified to throw the ball. With all that taken into account why would Crowton think the best way to beat Louisiana Tech was to throw the ball? LSU was running the ball on Tech. Senior running back Keiland Williams was having his way with the Tech defense, yet for some reason Crowton would always resort back to throwing the ball. Why? Why? Why? At the end of the day what helped LSU avoid an upset? RUNNING THE BALL. I can only hope Crowton gets things together for Ole Miss, otherwise confidence will be lost in him as well.

With all that considered I do have to give credit to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Head coach Derek Dooley (former LSU special teams coach) made his players believe they could beat LSU in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night. For much of the game that dream seemed like it could really become a reality. Using a wildcat offense and a series of trick plays, Tech was able to keep the game close. I know this has been a difficult year for the Bulldogs as they are now 3-7, but rest assured Dooley is a special coach who continue to improve Tech each and every year.


55 Stanford 21 USC

Two weeks ago the USC Trojans got destroyed in Autzen Stadium to the Oregon Ducks 47-20. The game was the biggest blowout in Pete Carroll's career at USC. No way a loss could get any worse than what USC experienced that Saturday, right? Wrong. Someone forgot to tell the Stanford Cardinals they are not supposed to be fighting for the Pac-10 title. Someone forgot to tell Jim Harbaugh's crew this is a game they are supposed to lose.

Two years Stanford beat USC 24-23 in the Coliseum in arguably the biggest upset in college football history. (Stanford was a 41 point underdog.) For their homecoming game and only two weeks removed from the Oregon embarrassment it was expected that USC would rebound in a big way. Going into the fourth quarter Stanford held a narrow 28-21 lead.

But then it all collapsed. By the time the clocked ticked zero Stanford had cruised to an unheard of 55-21 victory over USC. There are several things that stick out about this game. First, where is USC's defense? Consistently, year in and year out Carroll has a team with defense, but this year the unit has looked atrocious at times. The second thing that stuck out ties in with the first. I was blown away by the success Toby Gerhart. All season Gerhart has been torturing opponents, yet in the back of my mind I felt USC would still neutralize him come Saturday.

At day's end Gerhart had 29 carries for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns. I think it's fair to say that Gerhart did whatever, whenever, against the Trojans.

Now the big question is, is this a sign for things to come for a Harbaugh-led Stanford squad or are they just this year's Ole Miss? It will be interesting to see.


45 Wisconsin 24 Michigan

Four weeks into the season and the Wolverines were 4-0. Now Rich Rod's crew stands at 5-6 with the final game in the Big House against Ohio State. So yes you read that right, in order to avoid a second consecutive losing season UM has to beat the 10th ranked team in the country. The minor defensive holes for the Wolverines have blown up as the season has progressed and in turn the Wolverine fan base has begun to show frustration with Rich Rod's job so far. Keep in mind this is only his second year, he is installing a completely new system, the defense is weak, and lastly, but most importantly there's a true freshman playing quarterback. Also keep in mind that three of the Wolverines' losses have been by an average of 3 points. This is a team that will improve in the future. Give it time.

On the other side the Wisconsin Badgers have slowly gone through this season under the radar with an impressive 8-2 record. Coming into the season Coach Bret Bielema was definitely starting to get on the hot seat, but I doubt that's the case anymore. The Badgers only two losses have been to Ohio State and Iowa. The best news they have is their top quarterback (Scott Tolzien), running back (John Clay), and wide receiver (Nick Toon) will all be back next year. Look for Wisconsin to be a dark horse sleeper for next year's Big 10 title.


24 Cincinnati 21 West Virginia

Cincy has had a pretty easy time with it's opponents this year, but things this week things changed. With 2 minutes left Cincy kicked a field goal to go up 24-14 so the final was closer than the actual outcome, but rest assured WV put up a fight. With all that said, unless Cincinnati falls flat on it's face against Illinois on November 27th, you can assume that Cincinnati will be playing at Pittsburgh December 5th in easily one of the biggest games of the year. Winner of that game will get a BCS bowl.

Currently West Virginia is 7-3, but the team still has a home match up with Pittsburgh (a team who's season they would love to ruin after what happened in 2007)and a road game against Rutgers. If the Mountaineers dropped those final two the team will finish 7-5 and things will start to get a little uneasy in Morgantown with how Bill Stewart's tenure has gone. Yes, going 9-4 last year and 7-5 this year is not bad, but keep in mind this program was flying high when Rich Rod was in town. Fans expect more.


27 Pittsburgh 22 Notre Dame

Charlie Weis you are going to be fired. With 12:44 left in the game ND was down 27-9. The team was able to rally, but again Weis's team fell to a ranked squad. And to top it off ND (already with 4 losses) still has to play Connecticut and Stanford. On paper and from what we have seen I can not see Notre Dame beating Stanford so you are looking at another 7-5 season. That's not Notre Dame. Maybe at Temple or Baylor, but not Notre Dame. Weis has been given enough time and still his teams are, well, average.

Also, I have to say I'm awfully impressed with how well Pittsburgh is doing. In particular Coach Dave Wannstedt who has this Panther team two wins away from a BCS bowl. During his first season Wannstedt went 5-6, the following year he went 6-6, and then the next year in 2007 his team went 5-7. Looking at his first 3 years at Pitt (16-19) it makes you think why Wannstedt was not let go. I honestly think the thing that really factored into him coming back last year was the monumental upset Pittsburgh pulled over West Virginia in 2007. The Mountaineers were one win away from going to the BCS National Championship. All they had to do was beat a 4-7 Pitt team that was a 24 point underdog. Pitt won 13-9 and since that game both programs have been going in opposite directions. That win has catapulted Pitt into believing that they can compete with the nation's best.


24 Florida 14 South Carolina

Florida continued its winning streak to 20 games, but at the same time the team was not over the top impressive. A lot of that has to do with great South Carolina defense. A couple things stood out to me. First, with this loss Spurrier is 34-27 at South Carolina. The Ole Ball Coach really is not much of a coach anymore as his teams rarely finish the season strong. The Gamecocks do consistently play tough, but in the end they lose. Their biggest win in Spurrier's tenure was a six point win over a then top 5 ranked Ole Miss team. Would South Carolina ever think about firing Spurrier? Each year it's the same story. Start strong, finish awful.

Florida has the regular season wrapped up. They play Florida International followed by Florida State, so you can pretty much start talking about the SEC Championship Game. That is a tough game to say the least on who I think will prevail. On one hand I say, 'This is Florida and Tim Tebow. The quarterback advantage for Florida is the clear reason the Gators will win again.' But on the other side I have to think, 'Alabama lost last year and has spent an entire year anxiously awaiting a rematch. Rarely do teams beat Nick Saban twice with the same game plan. If Florida wants any shot of beating Alabama they have to change their game plan.' Because of the events that happened late in the fourth quarter in the LSU/Alabama game I will not be watching the SEC Championship Game, but I can pretty much guarantee it will be a defensive struggle. I will take Florida 24-16.


42 Ole Miss 17 Tennessee

Just when you thought Ole Miss's season was going to completely unravel the team came out and beat up a good Tennessee defense. Dexter McCluster ran for 282 yards and 4 touchdowns! REREAD THAT THREE MORE TIMES! This is not Madden, this is real life! Wow! Despite a season that has had some major disappointments, the Rebels still have a very good chance of finishing the season strong. Their ability to score points against a good defense shows that this team can take down LSU this Saturday. Put it this way - if Ole Miss beats LSU and Mississippi State, and wins their bowl game then you have yourself a 10-3 season. Not bad at all.

With that loss the Vols slip to 5-5. Their two remaining games are against Vandy and Kentucky. If Kiffin's crew finishes strong they will get a bowl. Kiffin has this program going in the right direction. Think of it like this - the Vols do not have the top notch athletes they use too, yet they hung with Florida and almost beat Alabama. Once they get the athletes things will really change. The future is bright.

Tim Tebow's Latest Jaw-Dropping Act of Greatness

With his senior season coming to close more and more great things continue to pop up about Tim Tebow. The latest report is one that will surely leave the public amazed. In a sit down interview on November 5, 2009 Gainesville resident Gus T. Henneshaw gives a real time account of what took place between Tim Tebow and him. As Henneshaw explains he was waiting in a long line to get a sip of water at a public drinking fountain. “I was hot outside. Too hot if you ask me,” Henneshaw exclaimed.

That’s when the magic of Tim Tebow happened.

“I was waiting behind eight or nine people and man I was thirsty. Then I could see at the front of the line that Tim Tebow was next in line and then he did it. He looked right at me and said, ‘Mr. Henneshaw would you like to cut in line and quench your thirst prior to mine?’ It was surreal.”

Multiple reports indicate that indeed Tebow did give out this offer and that indeed Henneshaw took it.

“It was remarkable. Absolutely remarkable,” Gainesville resident Heidi Thames explained. “Tim Tebow had yet again raised the bar of greatness to new heights!”
According to the bylaws of Heisman Trophy protocol the NCAA declares that “a great act of kindness outside of football can be implemented into a person’s Heisman standing only if the person’s last name rhymes in some crazy way with the word ‘elbow’.”

With this hidden clause it is clearly evident that indeed the front runner for the Heisman Trophy is yet again Tim Tebow.

“He plays with more heart than any human being that has ever touched the earth,” University of Florida Beta Iota Phi President James Douglas stated. “Stand back Genghis Khan, there’s a new king in town!”

Since the announcement of Tebow’s latest great act of bravery numerous cities have been said to have had ceremonies to honor No. 15.

“Today we spill ‘happiness’ T-E-B-O-W!” Detroit Mayor John Ritzberg yelled in front of a crowd of 30,000 residents.

Indeed we do Ritzberg, indeed we do…

(This article was done in good fun. Do not take it too seriously.)

College Football Analysis After Week 8

Sorry for taking so long to get another post out. I was actually kidnapped by a wild pack of bandits who desperately wanted me to turn over my 2001 Camry to them.

I would not give in to their threats...


12 Alabama 10 Tennessee

For much of year the Crimson Tide were looked at by all as the most complete team. The defense was one of the best and the offense had a running game close to unstoppable. The best luck anyone had was South Carolina who fell 20-6. No one had ever hung with Alabama. No one had ever really made the Tide fight to the end.

That was until Tennessee.

Prior to this game not much of a chance was given to the Vols, but after the 12-10 score stood Kiffin and crew got respect. Yet I'm positive his team is still very unhappy with the outcome. It always seems the importance of special teams is pushed behind offense and defense, yet as the UT/Bama game shows you the special teams is just as important as any of those three. 3 missed field goals, including a potentially game winning 44 yarder with 4 seconds left. Unfortunately for the Vols Terrence "Train" Cody broke through the line and destroyed the Orange Crew's dreams of ruining Bama's season. It was interesting to note that once in field goal range Kiffin thought it was a gimme. Gary Anderson is the NFL's all-time leading scorer. If he was kicking a 44 yarder in his prime I would still be nervous. This was a college kicker! Point is UT needed to get closer. The fact that Kiffin did not have the urge to move further ahead only highlights even more the little confidence he has in QB Jonathan Crompton.

In two big games this year (Florida and Alabama) Kiffin has managed to put together a very impressive game plan. His teams were very heavy underdogs yet they still had a chance to win in the end. Once Kiffin starts really getting some athletes Tennessee will be a force.

So what did we learn about Alabama? First, they are vulnerable. They, like every other team this year, do have flaws. Biggest thing is QB Greg McElroy still has some maturing to do. Tennessee knew Mark Ingram was Bama's biggest weapon and they neutralized him much of the game. McElroy has to be able to pick up the slack. Second, despite not playing the best game Alabama found a way to win. That is something that needs to be noted. Sooner or later there will be a game that Alabama finds themselves in where they are not playing there best, yet they have to fight to the end. This was that. Even when the odds where against them the team hung in there and blocked a field goal to, as Cody says, "save the season."


15 Iowa 13 Michigan State

I love when the claims come out that a one loss USC team would go over an undefeated Iowa team. Wow. Can someone please give the Hawkeyes some love? I can only help but think the only reason USC would go over Iowa is because I don't know maybe the fact that USC is in Los Angeles and Iowa is, well, in the middle of Iowa. Anyway onto the game.

In yet another Big 10 slug fest the Hawkeyes found themselves behind (13-9) late in the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium. With a mere two seconds the Iowa Hawkeyes managed to convert a 4th and Goal that yet again resulted in a heart attacks across Iowa. Iowa is not the most glamorous team, but in all honesty few teams have a better knack at finding a way to win than the Hawkeyes. Look at there schedule right now. In week 1 they blocked two field goals by Northern Iowa in the final seconds to preserve a 17-16 victory. Okay so it was only Northern Iowa. September 26 Iowa triumphs over Penn State 21-10...in Happy Valley. And there's the home win over Michigan 30-28 and the road victory at Wisconsin where the team came from behind to win 20-10. And finally there's this victory at Michigan State on the last play. How is that not an impressive resume?! The Big 10 is a lot stronger than it was two years ago. I can only hope the voters see this.

There are four games remaining for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Sure they could trip up against Indiana, Northwestern, or a solid Minnesota but let's me honest the biggest remaining test is a November 17th showdown in Columbus against Ohio State. It will be tough, but again hasn't the season been like that the whole time?


31 LSU 10 Auburn

LSU fans have waited an awful long time to finally see some offense. After a dreadful showing in a 13-3 loss to Florida, LSU came out firing on all cylinders against the War Eagles. Unlike every other game this year, LSU punched the ball in for touchdowns (not field goals) right from the get-go. Had it not been for Jefferson's fumble in the first quarter it would of 21-0 after one quarter. And finally Russell Shepard got to see pay dirt. On a 69 yard scamper Shepard burst through the War Eagle defense and put the score at 31-3. Also worth noting is the LSU defense. Each game Defensive Coordinator John Chavis's crew looks better and better. LSU fans can only hope the Tigers can keep this complete game effort as LSU gets ready for a November 7th showdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Jordan Jefferson played the best game of his career Saturday. His ability to get better every week is what makes this LSU team so potentially dangerous. If he can really get a handle on this LSU offense like he did against Auburn then watch out.

On the other side are the Auburn "Tigers". Through five games the War Eagles were 5-0 and hype began to form that maybe Auburn is better than we thought they were. After all there offense was running through everyone. Now fast forward to the present. First the War Eagles got dominated by Arkansas, then they lost at home to Kentucky who just lost their starting quarterback and finally they got dominated much worse than the score at Tiger Stadium against LSU. Auburn is currently 5-3 and you can not help but think that it might get worse. Auburn still has to play Ole Miss (this weekend), Georgia, and Alabama. Gene Chizik needs to get things under control before things really get chaotic.


29 Florida 19 Mississippi State

Something is not right in Gainesville. Prior to the season the Gators were touted as potentially the greatest team ever. Now granted most likely the team will go undefeated and win the national championship, but still it has to be noted how much the team is, well, struggling. It was a one score game going into the fourth quarter. Sure you can say that Bulldog coach Dan Mullen use to be Florida's offensive coordinator, but again this is supposed to be the greatest college football team ever. Tebow does not look like Tebow. He threw two pick sixes! Florida was fortunate to not have their interception in the fourth quarter overturned (the referees once again went brain dead), otherwise it would of be a one score game deep in the fourth quarter. Now I have to ask how does LSU's struggles against the Bulldogs look now? Maybe not so bad. If the Bulldogs took Florida to the brink you can not help but think that maybe, like Kiffin, once Mullen gets the athletes the wins will start happening.

Gators Triumph Tigers in Defensive Slugfest

It was a little past 10 o'clock Saturday night when the dream was officially dead. The No. 1 Florida Gators defeated the No. 4 ranked LSU Tigers 13-3 in what will easily go down as the most anti-climatic game of my life.

Myself, along with countless other LSU fans spent months anxiously awaiting Saturday's game. Even fans outside of Florida and LSU waited for this game. It was supposed to be the game of the year, but at the end of the day the game was nothing to write home about.

Let me clarify that I am not calling this an ugly game simply because LSU lost. It's more complex. I was well aware that LSU might lose to Florida, it's just the manner that it happened in.

The thing that is troubling to me is that LSU's defense did it's part to give the Tigers a shot to take down Florida, but as everyone saw the offense for LSU did nothing. The Gators showed why they have the No. 1 defense, but at the same time let's be frank - the Florida Gators have a great defense but not a 3 points per game defense. My point? LSU hurt themselves a lot. And as good as the Gators' defense was the offense was nothing too thrilling.

On one end I think to myself about how well the LSU defense did. They shut down a powerful Florida attack to a mere 13 points. The defense went above and beyond what, we, the fans, thought they could do. But on the other end is the cold reality of the situation. LSU's offense was beyond inept. It looked disturbing like something out of the 1940s. HB dive, two yard pass, HB dive, and a lousy punt. I do not know where to point the finger.

Yes, it was apparent that Jefferson was having lots of trouble as he once again got sacked numerous. And there were the numerous missed throws. But still it has to be acknowledged how much the offensive line is still struggling. Okay so Jefferson struggled and the offensive line really struggled. That is not even the worst part.

The worst part about LSU's 13-3 loss was the absolute abysmal play calling by LSU. I will give LSU's defense a solid B. As for the offense and in particular play calling there's no question Crowton and Miles earned an F. For the life of me I will never understand why Miles and Crowton stuck to the same bleak, bland offense that has been haunting this team the entire year. The one thing that shocks me is there were no changes to the offense against a much better defense. It was a stubborn approach. There were no trick plays. And by all means the running back up the middle on first down 95% of the time is getting old. There was no attempt by the coaching staff to add a spark to the offense. Case and point can be seen in Russell Shepard. In the biggest game of the year the highly touted recruit played ZERO snaps. Not one. And this my friends is the most confusing part of LSU's 13-3 loss.

Through the grapevine I heard the two biggest things the Florida defensive line was worried about where Charles Scott and Russell Shepard. Miles gift wrapped the defensive line's job by not putting Shepard in the game.

Have you ever heard of the story where the amateur chess player plays the professional chess player? The amateur takes whatever move he can get, while the professional keeps looking for a move that he thinks the amateur is playing. So the game continues and the professional keeps looking for a strategy that the amateur is playing to, and the amateur is taking whatever opportunities are given to him. In the end the amateur wins. This is what is going on with the LSU offense. Miles and Crowton are looking for something bigger. They are thinking too much. They are not taking the opportunity which is you have a true freshman who is getting 6 yards every time he touches the ball. That is all that matters. Put him in the game!

And that's the answer to your trivia question! How do you kill a crowd of 93,000 fans? You run a dreadful offense, and as Saturday showed us it worked like a charm.

As painful as it was to see the LSU game I anxiously awaited I must say there are positives. Keep in mind Jefferson is young and that the defense did play great. Also, through six games LSU has only one loss.

College Football Week 4 Analysis

For once I am going to get my analysis out before Friday! All year I have started my college football analysis on Monday to only have it posted Friday. What can I say I have the joy of being smothered by school.

On to Week 4...

16 South Carolina 10 Ole Miss

All summer long message boards were flaring up about Ole Miss being overrated. Personally, I thought No. 4 was high for the Rebels, but we would not see that for a couple weeks. I mean really lose their first big game? Please! I never imagined the Rebels to play so lousy against South Carolina. But as lousy as the Rebels played you have to get a lot of that credit to the Gamecock defense. South Carolina missed countless opportunities to put the game away, but still managed to halt a late Ole Miss charge. Jevan Snead has looked nothing more than average this year. It's one thing to lose on the road 33-30 in a tough game, but to lose 16-10 when your offense played so lousy is just sickening for the people of Oxford. Greg Hardy and Co. showed that the defense will not be able to get Ole Miss out of all their offensive woes.


30 LSU 26 Mississippi State

I really do not know what to think about LSU's game. There's a part of me that is aggravated because for much of the game LSU failed to close the door on the Bulldogs. They failed to capitalize. They missed PATs, field goals, mishandled punts, and blew assignments in the defensive secondary. It was a lackluster performance that had me on the verge of a heart attack.

But then there's another part of me. A part of me that says finally the offense let Jefferson air it out. And heck it might not have been pretty but the Tigers did win. It's far too common of a thing where moronic people go on the Internet and undermine a huge defensive stand for LSU. I, for one, will not. LSU was up 30-24 and failed to move the ball on offense. The Tigers punted it back to Mississippi State with plenty of time. Then it happened a couple passes and more bruising runs right up the middle and poof! the Bulldogs were on the 2 yard line with a 1:29 left and a 1st and Goal. This was it. It was over. I was seeing everything. Bulldogs score and make the PAT and it's 31-30. LSU gets the ball back and Jefferson throws an interception. Starkville newspapers explode at the fact that the Bulldogs beat the Tigers for the first time since 1999. I, foolishly, thought it was over. On 1st and Goal from the 2 Anthony Dixon plowed to the 1 yard line. It was insane how close he was. Must of been the width of a cockroach's antenna. No more. Then, LSU called a timeout in anticipation of the touchdown. On 2nd and Goal Mississippi State again gave it to Dixon, but this time he got nothing. Zero. Zip. Nadda. 3rd and Goal and my pulse is up to 240. The Bulldogs try a trick play, they fake the hand off and go for a pass to a wide open tight end. It went flawless and then Chad Jones swatted the ball down. Pulse is now at 260. Here it was 4th and Goal at the 4 inch line. Quarterback Tyson Lee took the snap and went right up the middle. Nothing. Not a yard.

LSU would get the ball back and purposely get a safety and win 30-26, but it was all so odd. We, the fans, thought it was over. This is what amazed me. Mississippi State cut through LSU's defense all afternoon. The running game was going down our throats, yet at the end of the day the defense thought to themselves, "hey we haven't lost it yet." I do not know how this LSU team will do this year. Each week is a different team, but what I do know this: I will not forget the day LSU stopped Mississippi State from getting 4 inches. The day the defense did not quit. The day LSU thought to themselves it is not over yet.


31 Virginia Tech 7 Miami-Florida

At the end of the day when you add all the numbers up, Lane Stadium is one of the most underrated hostile environments out there. LSU went there in 2002 and got demolished 26-8. It happens countless times a team walks into that stadium thinking not much of it only to get jumped on. In the rain the Hokies jumped on the Hurricanes and beat up on Randy Shannon's crew like no one has done all year. At halftime it was 21-0. After two stellar games, Jacory Harris had an uncharacteristic nightmare of an afternoon against the Hokie D. It is not so much that VTech won it's how they did it. Right out of the gates they jump on visiting opponents and before you can blink an eye it's 14-0. Sure Jacory Harris rallied his troops at Doak Walker Stadium, but this was different. This was Lane Stadium, home of public humiliations and embarrassments since 1965.

42 Oregon 3 California

When I posted my predictions for the 2009 season I said, "By the end of October the California Bears WILL no longer be in the dark horse National Championship talk." It is not the end of October but a tremendous blow was taken to the Cal National Championship talk. The Bears were manhandled by the Ducks in every facet of the game. The funny thing is Cal actually went up 3-0, but at the end of the day they got out gained 524 yards to 207 yards. Certain teams in this country have class. On any given Saturday they are going to come to play. Sure they might not win, but they will fight till the end. California does not have that yet. You are the 6th ranked team and you lose by 39 on the road to an unranked Oregon Squad? And let's not forget USC plays at Oregon later in the year. Talk about a game to look forward to! Heck, if Oregon plays like that the rest of the season we might be seeing the Ducks in the Rose Bowl.

Tebow injury: Unlike anything we have ever seen in his four years at Florida, quarterback Tim Tebow got his lights absolutely knocked out. There's a lot of talk on whether Tebow will play LSU in two weeks October 10 (aka Judgment Day). Let me answer that question right now. TEBOW WILL BE PLAYING. I would be very, very surprised if he did not start. Tebow wants to play this game bad and LSU wants to play him just as much. Two years ago we beat UF in Tiger Stadium 28-24, but last year the Gators took it to LSU in the Swamp 51-21. Everyone is anticipation of this match up. It is Judgment Day after all.

College Football: Issues, Concerns After Week 1

You really have to question my intelligence when I decide that I would like to put my thoughts on the first week of college football the day before the second week begins. I will do my best to avoid this happening again.

Anyway here's what I picked up from week 1...

Florida: The Gators romped Charleston Southern 62-3. We did not learn anything about the UF because a) they went against Charleston Southern and b) look at A. Saturday they play, gasp, Troy. But come September 19th the Gators will have there first challenge when they play Tennessee (an unknown team) in the Swamp.

Alabama: Saban's defense is definitely legit and a formidable opponent, but at the end of the day are they are good as they came across against Virginia Tech? Yes, they did beat a top 5 opponent 34-24, but that VTech offensive play calling is so horrid! It has to be frustrating being a VTech fan watching that offense. Also, Greg McElroy did get into a groove in the second half, but he was shaky for sure in the first. Still the young quarterback helped put up 34 points against a top 5 defense and that can not go unnoticed.

USC: The Trojans behind playboy Matt Barkley beat San Jose State 56-3. This week they go into Columbus and the general thought is Ohio State struggled against Navy so USC will win, right? In the words of Lee Corso, "not so fast my friends!" I originally said USC would lose to Ohio State and I can not change my opinion because week 1 did not go as flawless as I had hoped for Ohio State. Ohio State needs this game more than USC. USC does not run the triple option so Ohio State will have a better chance preparing for their opponent. Overall I just do not see a 19 year old freshman quarterback going into the Shoe in front of 100,000+ fans and pulling out a victory.

Oklahoma: Andre Ware was the only guy who said the offensive line for Oklahoma would cause huge problems for Sam Bradford. He said OU would lose 3 to 4 games this year because of it. He was laughed at, but after week 1 his proclamation holds true. BYU was causing havoc for Bradford all day before he left the game injured. Keep in mind OU was only up 13-7 when he went out! Major kudos to BYU for right out of the gates setting the tone for a season that could be nothing short of spectacular.

Oklahoma State: All I keep hearing is, "well I guess Georgia is not as good as we thought they were." Wait! What if it's just the fact that Oklahoma State is finally for real? In a game of epic proportions (highest preseason ranking ever for OSU) the Cowboys beat the Bulldogs in Stillwater 24-10. Despite the stingy UGA defense, Dez Bryant was still able to have his touchdown that would break open the game. Main thing is do not blow off Georgia for the rest of the season because after all, this could be a very special Cowboy squad.

Boise State: I am telling you in 10 years the Boise State Broncos are going to have a national championship. That school is not only winning against bigger schools they are doing it with the athletes. High school athletes are going there because the offense is fun and you get to get on the field right away. Why wait 2 years on the bench to play when you can start right from the get-go at Boise State? In the season opener the Broncos dismantled a Oregon team in the oddest final score I have ever seen, 19-8. I was very surprised to see Oregon not have any fight in them. Lackluster effort for a team in trouble.

Notre Dame: No lie, I was pretty impressed by the 35-0 win by ND against Nevada. First a shutout is a shutout. Second, Nevada has one the nation's best quarterback in Colin Kaepernick. College footbal guru, Phil Steele, named Kaepernick the 7th best quarterback in college football! And this guy could not muster any points? I honestly think that this Notre Dame has a chance to be a very special team. National championship caliber? No not quite, but BCS bowl bound for sure.

LSU: The first half was not what the LSU faithful where hoping for. The defense looked out of sync and Jake Locker was having his way. But in the second half things changed. Let's put it this way: if LSU were to have stopped Washington from that last scoring drive than Washington would of had only 150 yards in the second half! But as we know Washington drove down the field and scored with no time left to lose 31-23. The general negativity surrounding LSU already from LSU fans is sickening to even comprehend. I can understand questioning a defensive coordinator who is young and inexperienced, but John Chavis is neither of those. Chavis has experience and he has been successful many times in the past. Will LSU be holding opponents to 14 points a game? No, but I do know they will improve as the season goes on. I am hopeful the defense will come around.

Cincinnati: Maybe we were all wrong to think Cincy's 2008 season was an anomaly. Sure it was only one game, but it's hard to look back the lashing the Bearcats put on Rutgers this past Saturday. On Rutgers's home turf Cincinnati rolled to a 47-15 win! Rutgers, by many, seemed like the logical choice to be the team that represents the Big East in a BCS Bowl.

California: The jury is still out for this Golden Bears squad that I am convinced will falter midseason. Winning 52-13 is always reason to smile, but lets not get past the fact it is Maryland. We need more weeks to see California play before we make a better call on this team.

Miami-Florida: What a game. How Miami managed to stop Florida State that many times inside their four yard line is beyond me. Jacory Harris definitely showed he has the potential to be the next great Miami quarterback. Though one has to wonder is Harris that good, or just a product of a lousy Seminole defense? On the other side I have to say I was impressed with Christian Ponder of Florida State. No reason the Seminoles (or Hurricanes, whom I predicted would have 5 losses a week ago) can not go 9-3.

Penn State: Joe Pa's crew has got a defense. Period. So what if it's Akron the fact that a college team only got 8 yards in one half of football is amazing. The game was over at halftime. If Daryll Clark can stay hot than look for the Penn State game against Ohio State to decide whether or not Joe Pa returns to the national championship.

Illinois: I almost forgot to talk about this game. Missouri came into this game as a team the nation was expecting to have a major drop off. After being blessed with Brad Smith and Chase Daniel, Mizzo came into this year with no real quarterback threat. Yet somehow the Tigers managed to completely manhandle the Fightin' Illini 37-9? Hate to be bold, but Ron Zook's job is in trouble if he can not turn this around. Losing by 4 touchdowns to Mizzo when you have a senior quarterback in Juice Williams does not bode well at all. Should you be nervous about this season if you root for Zook's crew? Yes, gulp, oh yes.

Tennessee: I know it's only Western Kentucky. I know that WKU is about as bad as Division 1 football team as there can be, but still you have to acknowledge that Jonathon Crompton going 21 of 28 for 5 touchdowns is signs of improvement. Yes, I know Lane Kiffin left Crompton in the game well into the fourth quarter, yet I still can not help but think to myself that maybe Tennessee is a lot farther along offensively than we expected. And did I mention in his first game as a college back Bryce Brown went over the century mark? Yes it was Western Kentucky...but still.

Michigan: Western Michigan is no power house, but the school is a respectable MAC power team. When I take that into account and then I see that UM won 31-7 I have to say I think RichRod's offense is more in sync than we all thought. This weekend against Notre Dame will go a long way to tell us how good this UM offense is. ND will be favored, but to blow off Michigan would be silly.

2009 College Football Bold Predictions

This is it. After what has seemed like 10,000 days of waiting college football is back. Thursday night meaningful games will finally kick off, but before that day comes let me lay out my predictions for the season.

Florida WILL go undefeated and they WILL win the National Championship.
(I keep looking and when I really evaluate this team I do not see them tripping up once.)

By the end of October the California Bears WILL no longer be in the dark horse National Championship talk.
(I have been hearing all summer how this Cal team is going to make some noise. I do not see this year being any different from the other years we, the fans, were lead to believe this.)

Ohio State WILL beat USC on September 12th.
(Matt Barkley is 18 years old. He turns 19 on September 8th. He has never started a college game. I do not think in his second game of the year he will be able to pull out a victory in front of 100,000+ screaming fans. I do not care how good he was in high school and I'm sure he will have a fine college career. But at the end of the day I do not think with such little experience he will be able to beat the Buckeyes.)

Baylor behind the nation's best kept secret, quarterback Robert Griffin, will pull off a big upset this year, but Baylor will not going bowling this year.

Miami Florida's head coach Randy Shannon will be fired at the end of the year as his team will again under perform. The Hurricanes will finish with 5 losses.

Michigan will not lose more than 4 games.

Once again Texas will just sneak by Oklahoma State. Much like the Fiesta Bowl, Colt McCoy will lead Texas for a late score at the end of the game to beat the Cowboys.

Oklahoma beats Texas. Oklahoma loses two games. Texas goes to the Big 12 Championship and then the National Championship.

Notre Dame will be getting a BCS bowl after they finish the season with only 2 losses. And yes they will lose to USC again.

Alabama will lose at the most 2 games during the regular season. Ole Miss will lose only one when the Bengals come into town. Ole Miss will go to the SEC Championship Game.

LSU will have their swagger back this year, but a very hard schedule will keep them out of the SEC Championship Game.

Rutgers will not win the Big East. Pittsburgh will take the conference and the coveted BCS bowl bid.

West Virginia will have 5 losses this year. Speculation will begin about whether Bill Stewart is the right guy for the job.

Alabama will beat Virginia Tech 31-14. Tech has a defense, but the offense will not be able to do anything against Alabama's defense.

Texas A&M has another losing season and surprisingly gives Mike Sherman one more year.

Dan LeFevour. He's what some would call the "poor man's Tim Tebow." He will lead Central Michigan to the MAC Title and to go along with that Houston will win the Conference-USA.

Sorry Archie Griffin, but you no longer have the record by yourself. Tim Tebow will win the Heisman trophy.

Oregon looked pretty impressive in their bowl victory against Oklahoma State so I will have to take the Ducks. Look for Oregon to end Boise State's 49-game regular-season home winning streak. It will be decided by one score.

Well that's all I have. In all honesty I'm the "Jeff George" of making predictions. Average, but nothing more.

Geaux Tigers!







Email me MM

2009 SEC East Football Preview

College football is roughly two months away. Even so, us, the obsessive fans, are already beginning our predictions and speculations on every possible thing.

Come on don't lie. You already know how each player will do on every team and how many yards so-and-so will rush for and how awful so-and-so will be, right?

Today I am going to touch on each team in the SEC. This is short and sweet and basically I want to get out the single biggest question the nation of college football will have about this team.

I will continue my college football preview as the summer progresses.

SEC East

1. Florida: Fresh off the 2008 BCS National Championship (second in three years) the Gators are the clear front runner for the 2009 title. All 11 starters will be returning to the defense and on offense a guy by the name of Tim Tebow will be back as well. The underlining question for the Gator unit is can they keep the same intensity and repeat? The nation knows Florida is for real and it's that bulls eye on their head that will cause Urban Meyer's crew to never take an opponent softly. Without Percy Harvin, now a Minnesota Viking, how will this Florida offense do? Will it plug someone else in and continue to pound their opponents or will the loss of Harvin be bigger than anyone imagined? Only time will tell.

The Florida Gators have a lighter schedule compared to past years meaning a repeat is a strong possibility. With that said there still are some games that Florida has circled. October 10th Florida travels to Baton Rouge to play LSU (this game shall be known as Judgment Day) and October 31st Florida will play the Georgia Bulldogs.

Can Florida trip up in these games? You betcha. Going into Tiger Stadium on Saturday night is by no means easy, and a deep rivalry, like the one with Georgia, can always swing either way. Any chance for a hiccup game against an opponent you would never think would give Florida trouble? Can't see any, but look for Troy, September 12, to score some points. Sure they'll lose 50-26, but Troy scores.

2. Georgia: Going into the 2008 season the Bulldogs were a National Title contender. There was a lot of talk that 2008 would be the year that Coach Mark Richt finally put it all together and wins a title. Well, things went bad before you knew it. They lost to Alabama 41-30. (It was 31-0 at halftime.) Then, November 1st Florida flat out embarrassed UGA by winning 49-10. Finally, Georgia Tech mounted a second half comeback to beat the Bulldogs 45-42. After the season Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno leaft for the NFL and Athens, Ga. is left in the dust....

...or so we were led to believe.

The three losses last year for Georgia were painful and this 2009 squad wants to prove to the nation Richt's team is back. Georgia will make noise, but the main question is how will new quarterback senior Joe Cox do? If Cox can grab the reins of the season early on Georgia could be a sleeper in the SEC. Whatever you do watch the Florida/Georgia game this year. Georgia fans are still pretty angry about Florida running up the score in last year's 49-10 slaughter. Don't think the Georgia players will not be pumped for that game?


3. Tennessee: If you like football and do not know who Lane Kiffin is than I can pretty much assume you live under a rock. New Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin has already made his impact on the SEC...and he is yet to coach a game. First it was the snagging of coaches from other SEC teams, then it was the accusations against Florida coach Urban Meyer, then it was the building up of an under-the-radar recruiting class by grabbing studs like Janzen Jackson and Bryce Brown at the last minute, and finally it was the recruiting violations. Kiffin has a big task in rebuilding the UT football program, but it will need time. The main thing is how successful will the Vols be in year one? Let's put it this way, if the Tennessee Volunteers finish with 8 or 9 wins you can sure that Vol Nation will be foaming at the mouth on the potential this coach has. How will this team do once it really starts recruiting?

Do not get your hopes up because Tennessee will be annihilated September 19 at The Swamp against Florida. But, look for Tennessee to pull off at least one upset in these three games.

October 10 Georgia
October 24 @ Alabama
November 14 @ Ole Miss


4. South Carolina: Steve Spurrier did not arrive in Columbia, SC last night. In fact this will be the Old Ball Coach's 5th year with the Gamecocks. With a 28-22 record critics begin to wonder will Spurrier ever build a team for South Carolina that will be stronger than one or two games over .500. Coming back this year for the Gamecocks will be Stephen Garcia who has the poetential to be the best QB Spurrier has ever had at South Carolina. The biggest issue for this team will be replacing the top three playmakers on both sides of the ball, including cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, safety Emanuel Cook and linebacker Jasper Brinkley on defense. After a spring practice where Spurrier left in frustration due a poor performance by the team one has to think if this South Carolina team will ever leave the land of mediocrity. With a schedule that includes games at Georgia, Alabama, and Tennesse, and home against Ole Miss and Florida don't look for that to change.


5. Vanderbilt: The Commodores 2008 season was one of the most incredible of the year. Not only did Vandy finish with a 7-6 record (4-4 SEC), the Commodores also won their Music City Bowl game against Boston College 17-16. Coach Bobby Johnson continously gets applauded for turning around a football program that has always struggled in the SEC. Main question is can Bobby Johnson and his crew keep this going into another year? The team returns 19 starters, not including former QB Mackenzi Adams. In steps Larry Smith who started the last two games of the year. Even with games at LSU and Florida, and home against Georgia and Ole Miss, the Commodores should still be able to enter bowl season for the second consecutive year. But keep in mind that in the history of Vanderbilt football (119 years) never have the Commodores gone to bowl games in consecutive seasons.


6. Kentucky: Last year's Kentucky team surprised a lot of people, myself included. One year after losing lightining-in-a-bottle Andre Woodson the Wildcats were still able to get into the bowl season. QB Mike Hartline came into the position last year with a lot of pressure, but remarkablely was able to guide Kentucky to a 7-6 record. Even better the team beat East Carolina (an early season sleeper) 25-19 in the Liberty Bowl. Much like Coach Bobby Johnson of Vanderbilt, Coach Rich Brooks of Kentucky is faced with the pressure of keeping the momentum going. The best thing happening to the Wildcats is the team will go back to running a similar offense to when Woodson was still in town. Last year the team strayed away from it because a new QB was in town. As Brooks says passing works best for the Wildcats. Despite a promising outlook for the offense the biggest issue for Kentucky will be the defense and its consistency. Cornerback Trevard Lindley is an All-American prospect, but will he be enough to get a fourth straight bowl game? Doubt it.


Up next SEC West...

Florida Wins Another Title and NFL Playoff Hoopla

From January 8 to January 11 football was at it's peak. First and foremost the Florida Gators won their second BCS title in three years. What Urban Meyer's crew has been able to do is nothing short of extraordinary. With that said here are some general thoughts on the 24-14 victory over Oklahoma.

In a game of that magnitude teams can not waste golden opportunities. Let's look at the Utah Utes win over Alabama. Utah seized every opportunity they had right from the get-go. When deep in Bama's territory, Utah did not turn it over, but rather they scored points. That's why it was 21-0 and that's why Utah would win the game.

Flip ove to the Oklahoma Sooners in the BCS National Championship Game. In the first half it happened twice where the Sooner got inside the Gators' 10-yard line and both times Sam Bradford and Co. could not muster any points. The halftime score was 7-7, but anyone could tell you that scored favored the Gators.

With all that said I must give credit where do. No question the Florida defense played one of the greatest games a defense has ever played. Coming into the game the Oklahoma Sooner averaged 54 points per game. In the title game the Sooners scored a mere 14. Kudos to Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong and the performance his unit pulled off on the field.

Now onto the NFL playoffs...

This week I did a bit better, but still going 2-2 is nothing to brag about. (Overall 3-4 record)

Cardinals 33-13

The Arizona Cardinals are in the same league as the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints. For much of their existence the franchise has struggled. You have to tip your hat to what is being done. I expected the Carolina Panthers to win a close one, but never did I remotely consider the Cardinals winning by 20. More so than we the viewers can imagine, Arizona is playing with a huge chip on their shoulder. This is a team that is hungry and loves to be doubted week in a week out.

Ravens 13-10

The Ravens' defense was getting beat early on by Tennessee, but somehow the group pulled itself together and clawed its way to victory. Joe Flacco is a smart quarterback who, when needed, can make the big throw. The official missing the delay of game call is unfathomable, but for Titan fans to rest the loss on the is ludacrious. I believe the Ravens' have the best defense and will continue to win every game they win the turnover battle.

Eagles 23-11

Like so many teams in the playoffs, Philly has one heck of a defense, though the single biggest reason Philly moved on was McNabb's uncanning ability to make numerous third down conversions. For a defense, giving up third downs is devastating, but to give up third and 20s...now that is crippling. Eli Manning was rattled all day and was about as ineffective as I have seen him in a while. In short, I can honestly say the Eagles dominated this game on every side of the ball. New York got beat in a way they are very unfamiliar with. And by the way, never in the history of the NFL has a game ended with the score of 23-11.

Steelers 35-24

The underdog story of the San Diego Chargers came to a screeching halt. In the freezing cold of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Big Ben and Co. jumped all over a SD team that looked out of sorts in the snow. With such an impressive showing the Steelers look like the Super Bowl favorite. The defense is one of the best, the offense is clicking, and the special teams with Santanio Holmes is good for seven points about every other game.

NFC Championship

The Arizona Cardinals are one game from the Super Bowl. That sentence alone is leaving so many people across the US unsure on when this week the apocalypse will be occurring. As great as this run is I think it comes to a close Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Arizona has beaten up two good teams so far, but keep in mind they have not gone against a defense like Philly. Philly's defense will have it's way with QB Kurt Warner. Look for another big, game-changing interception by the Eagle secondary. McNabb will shine in the spotlight and continue to defy the odds.

Eagles 28-20


AFC Championship

Beating a team once in the NFL is difficult. Beating them twice is very difficult. Beating that same team three times is immeasurable. In Pittsburgh, the Steelers will hope to defeat their bitter rivals the Baltimore Ravens for the final time this season. In two meetings this year, Pittsburgh has won by an average of 3.5 points. Look for this one to be a bigger margin. Joe Flacco has been consistent, but not much on the big playmaking chart. Sure a touchdown pass here and there, but not a whole lot else. Big Ben has not been overly glamourous either, but he does have two advantages: the game is in Pittsburgh and he has won a Super Bowl. Big Ben has more experience in games like this. This won will be close...right till the end.

Steelers 23-14

Bowl Season Analysis, BCS Title Game Prediction, and NFL Playoff Hoopla

Must say this past week had all the ups and downs the sport of football can have. First, I would like to touch upon the NFL playoffs. I am amazed when you get right down to it how down right lousy I am at predicting the winners in football games. Now I do consider myself a knowledgeable person about the sport of football, but man, I can't predict worth a darn!

This past weekend I went 1-3. I predicted the Atlanta Falcons beating the Arizona Cardinals by two touchdowns. As we all know, Arizona won that one by six. Then, I had the Indianapolis Colts beating the San Diego Chargers right at the end. I was close, but not close enough as San Diego prevailed 23-17 in overtime. And finally, I predicted a seven point win for the Baltimore Ravens against the Miami Dolphins. Never did I imagine Baltimore would straight up manhandle the Dolphins.

But there is one bright spot! The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Minnesota Vikings 26-14, I predicted 27-17! Right on the money if you ask me.

Anyway onto this week...

The Arizona Cardinals impressed everyone with their win against the Atlanta Falcons. To the shock of the world this Arizona team woke up at the right moment. Sure they stopped Michael Turner, but I don't think the same success will occur against Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams of the Carolina Panthers. Earlier this year Carolina won 27-23. I look for yet another close game that will ultimately be decided by a late game winning drive by Jake Delhomme and Co. Arizona will hang tough, but Coach John Fox's crew is on a mission.

Panthers 27-20


The Baltimore Ravens have a defense that is not over embellished at all. They are for real. The Ravens' D will have an even bigger task this week as they travel into Tennessee to go against a Titans team with an amazing rushing attack. Sometimes you have to go with your gut feeling and that rests with the Ravens. The Titans have a banged up line, which will only help that Baltimore running game. Look for this to be a heartbreaker for the Tennessee faithful.

Ravens 19-16


The San Diego Chargers have been playing five weeks of playoff football. Can the magic continue in Pittsburgh? Yes, Big Ben is banged up but you have to like this Pitt team playing home in the playoffs. Darren Sproles did well last week against Indy, but Indy's D isn't Pittsburgh's D. The cold is really a huge factor as well. Look, San Diego will be fit and ready to play in the cold, but I just get this feeling that for the Steelers the cold is like a drug. It gives them a boost. Big Ben will have a big day.

Steelers 27-14


As long as McNabb and Reid are together in Philly the Eagles will always be feared come playoff time. If the New York Giants want to repeat as Super Bowl champs they will have to win at home against a division rival they have already played twice this year. (The teams split the meetings.) Both defenses are top 5 material and will definitely make an impact, but who ultimately wins this game will be on the other side of the ball. My deciding factor is Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs may not be 100 percent, but he's pretty close. With him opening up the running lanes, that will gave Eli a chance to make some plays. McNabb and company will hang tough for a while, but being in the Meadowlands in New York, against the defending champs, will ultimately prove to be too much.

Giants 30-20


Now that I have covered the NFL I would like to discuss the college football world.

Sugar Bowl: Utah 31 Alabama 17

I was pretty impressed with the way the Utah Utes were able to beat a good Alabama team. The biggest thing an underdog needs to do in a high-profile game like this one is take advantage of every opportunity they get. Utah did this early on. Instead of getting two field goals or one, Utah got three touchdowns right at the beginning to go up 21-0. That is huge because again I can't emphasize how important it is for an underdog to seize every opportunity. Brian Johnson knew field goals were not going to be Alabama; touchdowns were. Also, let's not forget about that tremendous drive by Utah in the third quarter with the score only 21-17. Most teams in that situation seem to crumple. You had a 21 point lead and now it's seven? PANIC! Brian Johnson kept his head up and lead Utah down for a huge touchdown to put the score at 28-17. Impressive to say the least.


Fiesta Bowl: Texas 24 Ohio State 21

This was a game that was nothing short of entertaining. Colt McCoy definitely put himself on the Heisman watch for the 2009 season with that late game winning scoring drive. Texas could not run the ball, yet McCoy was still able to have so much success. And this was not a lousy defense, this was an Ohio State defense. One of the best. What McCoy did was remarkable. As for Ohio State I was impressed with how they came roaring back to take a 21-17 lead. Down 17-6 it looked like Ohio State was going to lay down yet again. I think Ohio State needs to revamp their offense. At times the play calling is disgustingly conservative. You have Terrelle Pryor! Open it up! Pryor showed a lot of his athleticism, but I was disappointed how he seemed to short arm some of his throws. All in all, I look for Texas to be in the top 3 for next year and the Buckeyes to be even more dangerous as the offense will be opened up.

I think that covers all the subjects. Oh, wait the BCS National Championship! Nearly slipped my mind!

BCS National Championship Game

Why Florida May Win: The Gators have been clicking on all cylinders lately. Coach Meyer's team hits you in the mouth right from the get-go. But as the SEC Championship game suggests, when faced with adversity this team can rise to the occasion and overcome the obstacles. Furthermore, Florida does have the dynamic Tim Tebow. Against a stout Alabama defense Florida was still able to put up 31 points. Think how many points they will put up against an Oklahoma defense that gives up 24.5 points per game. That spells good news for the Gators.

Why Oklahoma May Win: The Florida defense may only be giving up 12.8 points per game, but against a fairly basic Alabama attack the Gator defense had their hands full. Florida did leave with a victory, but one can only wonder how a record-setting offense in Oklahoma's will do against the Gators' defense. Sam Bradford has thrown 48 touchdowns and only six interceptions. His offense lines is second to none. That all adds up to Bradford being able to put up lots of points. And my final point, Tim Tebow may be an incredible quarterback, but the offense he runs is far too basic at times. Oklahoma's defense will be able to slow it down and in turn do enough to get a victory.

Final Prediction: Two high-powered offenses are coming into Thursday night's matchup with a lot on the line. Which ever coach does win the game will be taking home their second BCS title. In the end, I believe the Florida Gators will win this game. First, Tim Tebow is a once and a lifetime player. To me, I think he's better than Bradford because during this year Tebow has been put in a situation where if he did not make a play Florida could lose. Bradford is yet to be in that sort of situation and succeed. The only one I can think of is the Texas game where Oklahoma lost. And finally the biggest reason Florida will win is the Florida defense. A lot of talk is going around that no defenses exist in the Big 12. Missouri struggled against Northwestern and Texas struggled against Ohio State. Now the Sooners will not struggle as much as Mizzo or UT, but the no. 1 offense will no doubt have it's issues with a hungry Gator defense and that will be just enough for a Florida victory.

Florida 38-31