Auburn at Arkansas could be fun or funny...

 

         Having an open week does have an upside. It means that Tide fans have a chance to watch other games. For a lot of Alabama fans that will mean watching Auburn at Arkansas. Here is a game that will official determine who is the worst team in the SEC West. Don't count Ole Miss out yet, but the Rebels are showing some signs of life again. It seems almost impossible to understand how far each of these programs have fallen. Two years ago the Tigers won a National Championship. Arkansas was a pre-season darling of the media, and given a real chance of winning the West.  A funny thing happened on the way to the next championship game however; Auburn can't win without Cam Newton, and it appears that Arkansas can't win without Bobby Petrino. Both teams seem to have hit the bottom of barrel.
 

Tide fans will likely pull for Arkansas...

 

       Most Tide fans will pull for Arkansas. The old saying that my two favorite teams are Alabama, and whoever is playing Auburn isn't a lie.  Tide fans have no love lost for the Tigers.  In my opinion most Alabama fans don't even think about Arkansas. They are kind of an after thought. They aspire to be elite but always fall short. Auburn had a great season but just can't keep the wheels on the bus. So on a fall afternoon in early October,  two SEC West teams will play to find out who has managed to take their program to total humiliation. Some programs struggle, a few stumble, but these two programs are doing belly flops off the high dive, and each team is doing a great job in creating a negative splash. Auburn's offense is ranked 117 out of 121 teams in Division I football. The Arkansas team looks like a team just falling apart in real time before our eyes. On a better note, Arkansas fans have John L. Smith to provide a little live entertainment. Auburn fans are stunned, and probably have every right to be so. In Alabama you have seen the best of the best. Now get ready to see the  rest.

 

What's up with Georgia giving up all those points...

     Florida, Georgia, or South Carolina?  Who is going to win the East? A lot of fans believe this is the year of the dog. Tennessee scored 44 points on the road against Georgia. How many of you think a real contender can give up that many points and be seriously considered? Couple that fact with Georgia's never ending tendency to lose games they should win, and their poor defense will catch up with them in the end. South Carolina continues to win. Marcus Lattimore is off to a red hot start and Conner Shaw at quarterback give the Gamecocks a shot at winning every game they play. South Carolina plays defense well enough to not embarrass themselves. Whether they can continue to give up only 11 points a game remains to be seen. Up next for Spurrier's team is  LSU and a win seemed unlikely when the season started. South Carolina has an extra week to prepare. I thought that LSU would blast South Carolina right out of Deaf Valley.  The Bayou Bengals have been underwhelming to say the least. Mettenburg has been very disappointing. He has talent. They have all the pieces to be a great team. Without a really good quarterback it won't happen. Teams will put nine in the box and let Mettenburger try to beat you. When you struggle against Towson State you've got problems. Don't be surprised if the Gamecocks pull off the mild upset. That brings us to Florida. I think the 'Gators have been the surprise team in SEC East. You can't say that Florida has dominated any team they have played except for Kentucky. But they are getting some good quarterback play. I think we'll know a lot more about Florida after this weekend's trip to Baton Rouge.

So far it seems that Bama is the best team in the SEC. The only team that I have seen that might give the Tide a test is Oregon. The Ducks are explosive on offense, but their improved defense has been a big surprise.




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