MISSOURI NOT READY FOR THE SEC...

      I know that St. Louis has a large television market.  They have the Rams and Cardinals. They are the Gateway to the West. All in all it is a great city. What they don't have is a love for college football.  Columbia, home of the Missouri Tigers, is not exactly in the middle of nowhere, but you can see the edge of the abyss from Campus. Why the SEC thought that Missouri was a good place to take SEC football is beyond me. Watching the Alabama vs. Missouri game was striking proof that the Tigers are not ready to play SEC football. All they need is a real stadium, a real strength program, and a stadium worthy of the SEC. I'm not saying that the Tigers could have all those things one day. But why did the SEC lower its brand by picking a place like Missouri. I think of Missouri and am reminded of Todd Akin. If Tennessee gets some joking about hillbilly country what does Missouri get?  We just bought this older Class C Motor home. It gets around 14 miles a gallon. I'm told that is really pretty good gas mileage.

'Bama dominates Missouri...

   

                The official stats will read: Missouri rushing 3 yards. That small number was offset by -50 yards in sacks by an Alabama defense, who reeked havoc all afternoon in the Missouri backfield. A couple of kicking game mistakes by the Tide allowed the Tigers to put 10 points on the scoreboard. Welcome to the SEC. Missouri showed a few things they might need to change in the future. First, get more football players. Second, you might want to consider building a real football stadium, and a good weight program might help. Granted, the Tigers showed grit and heart. In the SEC grit and heart won't even beat Vanderbilt. If you can't beat Vandy almost every year you have some real problems. Those of us who know basketball realize you are really a basketball school. A lot of other SEC schools will come to realize that pretty soon. Except for Kentucky, basketball is really considered a sport by a lot of Southeastern football fans. In football, Missou is about as close to being a competitive football team as Moldavia is being a world superpower.

          In the ranking of whose good and whose not you guys are high up in the not column. At least the SEC put you in the Eastern Division. This means you might have an annual chance for a win against Kentucky in football. Unless you can find a few million dollars to outbid the Wildcats for basketball recruits you won't beat them the ponzi scheme known as Kentucky basketball however.

AUBURN FALLS TO 1-5 AFTER LOSS TO OLE MISS

Ole Miss gets much needed SEC win over hapless AU...

       Auburn played better than they did against Arkansas.  Better wasn't good enough. Late in the 4th quarter Bo Wallace threw a short pass all purpose back Jeff Scott. It didn't seem like much.  After Auburn defenders let the scat back roll over two tacklers it was deja vue all over again. Scott was tackled but never hit the ground. 56 yards later it was a Rebel touchdown, the fat lady sang, and Stan White jumped out of the press box. Somewhere Michael Dyer must have laughed at loud.

        Ole Miss fans will remember the Rebels last beat another SEC team on October 2, 2010. For the record it was Kentucky. There are toddlers who have learned to walk since that game. The for one team is over. You have to wonder if another drought might be beginning for a different team? I wonder how long it has been since an Auburn team lost to Ole Miss and Vanderbilt in the same season?  Stay tuned. It might just happen next weekend.  Since the Auburn national championship game against Oregon the Tigers have a 9-11 SEC record. Oh my, what's a Tiger to do? I frankly have no idea but I bet it will involve a lot of finger pointing, back stabbing, and a healthy dose of second guessing.

       Auburn may have ended the Frazier experiment at quarterback. Clint Moseley brought the Tigers back to take a brief lead in the first half. That was it. Auburn just doesn't have good enough offensive or defensive line to win consistently in the SEC. Their runnng backs give good effort. The linebackers play hard. I'd find it hard to conjure up more than 2 more wins for the Tigers. That would mean a 3 win season. It should mean the end of Gene Chizik. At least 2 high profile recruits have considered opening up the visitations process again. The end hasn't arrived for Auburn but all the elements are in place for a decade long collapse on the Plains. A lot of things can happen to Auburn right now, and not a single one seems good. Perhaps the worst of all would be the full time return of Dr. Doom a/k/a Paul Finebaum. Paul smells a story here in the midst of all the Tiger turmoil. I wonder if it is the same one I sense. It's not the end of Gene Chizik. Is it the end of the Pat Dye era at Auburn? 41-20 isn't going to go over well with anyone on the Plains. You might be able to spin a close loss. No spinning this one - the Tigers about as bad as a team can play. Playing worse than that will come later this season.


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Around the SEC ...

Some good teams, but mediocrity abounds...

     Let's start with the good. Alabama, South Carolina, and Florida are separating themselves from the rabid pack named the SEC. Mississippi State is undefeated. Texas A&M has been a surprise to many but those guys were playing big time football before jumping to the SEC. The Texas school has one loss as does Eastern Bully Boy Georgia. Why is it that the one loss of A&M seems a lot more acceptable than the Georgia loss?  Georgia didn't look competitive against South Carolina. USC just line up and slammed the ball down the Bulldogs interior. That insured a Carolina win and continued the belief that Mark Richt simply can't get the Bulldogs over the hump into the elite. Then there is LSU. The defensive juggernaut was a preseason number one selection and had a ne quarterback who would deliver them to the promise land. So far, Mettenburger is been missing in big games. But most surprising is how easy it appeared for for Florida to run roughshod over, around, and through the Tigers. I also think the Tigers could have some leadership problems.  Mettenburger might not be able to get the job done. Mississppi State has starting to show signs of being the real deal. The Bulldogs are tough on both sides of the ball. Look for State to pull off at least one stunner before the season is over.

Auburn has become a punch line for bad jokes...

     What has  happened to Arkansas has been surprising. In retrospect, you could see a lot of their problems lurking below the surface. John L. Smith is doing his best, but the Razorbacks have a ton of problems. Having an All-SEC Quarterback publically doubting his team's heart is one of them. Motivation might be the worst problem of all. Despite all the stumbling and bumbling from Fayetteville found a glimmer of light when the 'Hogs went to Auburn and dominated the Tigers. That may be good news for Arkansas but where does that leave Auburn?  It seems like the Tigers have crashed and burned already. Turning around the Tiger season around is highly unlikely. Auburn is not not selling out Jordon-Hare Stadium, the airwaves are full of descriptive stories about how bad Gene Chizek's coaching really has become. I wrote an article earlier suggesting the earlier success was due to Cam Newton and a bunch of seniors. That now appears to be true. Despite talent level being up overall on the Plains, the Tigers are an embarrasment to themselves. ust two seasons off a national championship the War Eagles have become a national joke. Auburn fans, good people, are hurting. And now, perhaps the cruelest cut off all awaits the blue and orange. the Tigers go to Ole Miss as 5 point underdogs. Maybe the Tigers can pull out a win but that game seems to a clash of teams going opposite directions. Hugh Freeze might be the man to bring the Rebels back to glory. I'll say this, the Johnnie Rebs can clock your butt. They also run more plays than any team I've ever seen. Not good for a defense that seems confused at best. At least one Alabama player told me they are the hardest hitting team he's played against in three seasons.

Is South Carolina that Good...

        Steve Spurrier is the master of the understatement and the overstatement of arrogance. God help all of us how bad will he become if the Gamecocks win the SEC West? This weekend USC heads to Baton Rouge for a very interesting ball game. If Carolina can go into Deaf Valley they may are the real deal. LSU will have their backs to the wall. Carolina's defense is very, very good. LSU is a 3 point favorite. This is a make or break game for the Bayou Bengals. Any chance for playing for a national championship or even an SEC crown will be over if the Tigers lose. I'm thinking a low scoring game. LSU has a ton of good running backs, and the Gamecocks have Marcus Lattimore. Lattimore is a great quarterback. Conner Shaw is going to the best signal caller on the field. Don't be the least bit surprised if USC beats the Tigers on the road.  

     Mississippi State is a 3 point favorite over Tennessee. You have to feel good for the Bulldogs. The perenially lapdog has become a much bigger dog this season. Good quarterbacking and a steady defense has made the Bulldogs dark horse is someone stumbles on the way to Atlanta. The Dogs might now win the SEC but they will have a say in who does. Derrick Dooley, whose wife probably spends a lot of time on the web looking at new homes somewhere else, has his back against the wall. The question is whether he will last the season or not. I think it is a dead even bet whether Dooley or Chizik leaves the SEC first.



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TIGERS ARE COMING UNGLUED...

like a cheap suit...

     The Auburn Tigers are falling apart at the seams.  It must have been Cam. That's the only conclusion of any rational football fan can reach. If you live north of Auburn and look outside the sky is filled with the smokey remains of the Auburn football program. Yep, it must have been Cam. 

        Now, most Alabama fans are not the least bit concerned when the Auburn loses to anyone. Tide fans should be very worried. AU fan's are calling for Gene Chizik's head. Toomer's Corner wasn't rolled today; but a hangman's noose was seen swaying from the lowest living branch of the old oak tree.  John L. Smith brought the tattered remains of an Arkansas 11 into Lee County and whipped the Tigers in a game which might cement an Auburn claim to the worst team in the SEC.  Two seasons removed from a National Championship the Tiger is no longer burning bright. The program is in flames as it burns to the ground.  No doubt, it must have been Cam. Even though the Tigers have  had three excellent recruiting classes it hasn't been enough. Last season Auburn stumbled but did not quite fall.  Now they have fallen flat on their face and can't get up. If you are an AU fan you have one game left in the season, and a ton of week's to put in a game plan for ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE'S  talented football team.  That probably won't be enough time to beat the Tide. Cam isn't coming this time.  

       Pat Dye says Gene's job is safe. He'd rather have a fine man like Chizik instead of "that coach in Tuscaloosa".  In one radio interview with Paul Finebaum Dye managed to insinuate Nick Saban's character and coaching ability.  Why should Alabama fans be worried about the Tiger's season?  It is entirely possible that Chizik might be replaced. More than anyone else in TigerTown, Pat Dye knows it was Cam. Highly recruited quarterback, Kiehl, hasn't been the man. Neither has Clint Moseley.  Frazier is much more mobile than Moseley. So far that means that Frazier can get sacked anywhere he runs, and Moseley just sticks to one spot. I do not claim to be the greatest observer of college football. But I know bad when I see it occur.  In all fairness to the Tigers their offensive line is young. The defense isn't young. The line can't block and the defenders can't tackle. Auburn is now 1-4, and frankly were lucky to get the 1. This is an excellent time for the SEC to consider moving to the East and allowing Missou to play in the West. This season, regardless of where the Tigers might play, they would last in their division. What has happened to the Tigers has gone from a dream to a nightmare. I doubt they will be able to pick themselves for years to come. 

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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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Welcome to Running Back U.

Derrick Henry next Alabama superstar back...
    


DerrickHenry
compliments of rivals .com

      Last night I emailed my friend, Jack Bains, he of the legal profession and photographer extraordinaire. The email informed him that Yulee, Florida running back, Derrick Henry had announced he was coming to the Capstone. Jack loves the Tide. He came by the honestly. His father was the worlds biggest Alabama fan. Jack now challanges him for that position, is favored by many friends to take the lead.  Jack's response to my email was simple -"welcome to running back U." The proverbial beat goes on. One of Georgia's bell cow recruits had changed from red and black to crimson and white. If you want to know why just ask him about Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. We can probably add Eddie Lacey to that list as well.

     Nick Saban just doesn't send runnng backs the NFL. He must have a machine in the weight room that churns out All-Americans who are first round draft picks. . How good is Henry? Good enough to think he can beat out Lacey, Hart, Yeldon (his friend) and Drake. Alabama backs all have several things in common - they have uncommon talent and a very uncommon work ethic. Not a one fo them has one bit of backdown. They thrive on special teams. They support each other. The celebrate their teammates success and pat them on the head when things are not going so well. To Alabama's credit there is not much head patting needed.

     It would be nice to say all these recruits are headed to the Capstone because of a storied tradition. A few might, but I believe most come because they know they can put in three hard years under Nick Saban and then become multi-millionaires. Of course, it isn't just running backs the interstate highway from Tuscaloosa sends outs. No position is ignored and all the players bring their skills for Saban and company to hone them into professionals. Saban talks about the process. I'm beginning to have a much better understanding and appreciation about what it actually means. Saban says you put in the work and I'll make sure you become someone special. Remember when Marcell Darius was recruited. Three stars only. Not to Saban. In Sabanese he was going to be a dominating player. I don't care how many stars any recruiting service gives an Alabama player. If Nick Saban offers a grant it comes with five stars. I don't want to ever compare Bear Bryant with Nick Saban. They come from different times. I'll just say this - Alabama is lucky enough to have had both.

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