ESPN CFB Live's Preseason Top 25: Poking Fun At A Way Too Early List

Late last week E$PN released it's pre-season Top 25 for the 2011 college football season. It didn't seem fair to mock it then, but now that I've had some time to think it over, I am willing to mock it now. Try and take this "analysis" for what it's worth, huh? I mean after all, there's no way those guys at E$PN actually expected anyone to take them seriously anyhow, right?

1. Oklahoma: Okay, since they bring back so many guys and are playing in a league where it's basically them or Texas, I can see them getting the nod here. On the other hand, despite the message the annual spring game may have sent, the Sooners will have a time replacing the departed DeMarco Murray.

2. Alabama: Seriously? Didn't they lose a gang of people? I know the Tide are always supposed to Roll but, damn, can we keep it real? Trent Richardson is a stud, but he's never been that stud minus Mark Ingram. Julio Jones was a presence, when healthy, is there some other guy ready to step into that big-bodied role? Not to mention you no longer have a seasoned quarterback—ummm, to put them at No. 2 seems like too much.

3. Oregon: They should be No. 2...hell, they should be No. 1.

4. LSU: Is Jordan Jefferson still their best quarterback? I don't care how good their defense was last season—and keep in mind that was WITH Patrick Peterson—if Jefferson doesn't stop decapitating their offense, they won't get very far.

5. Boise State: I get it, until they get their backsides handed to them by a BCS team, everyone loves the Broncos. Fair enough.

6. Florida State: I sure hope they don't start getting the big head. This seems a bit high for a team that no longer has an experienced quarterback.

7. Stanford: If Jim Harbaugh was still the head coach, they would be a lot higher than this in my opinion.

8. South Carolina: It's allllllll about Marcus Lattimore. Where his legs go, so goes the South Carolina offense. Now, if they could just figure out what to do at quarterback.

9. Oklahoma State: That's right, there is another team in Oklahoma. How old is Brandon Weeden now? I swear that kid should be retired.

10. Ohio State: Hahahahahahahahahaha....talk to me when they aren't under threat of probation. That team is a hot mess.

11. Texas A&M: For real, they're this good?

12. Arkansas: It's nice they feel this way about the Hogs...too bad the rest of the SEC doesn't.

13. Nebraska: As long as Pelini isn't making his quarterback cry like a baby, they might do alright in the Big Ten this season.

14. Wisconsin: Call me when they start running the score up on GOOD teams. That's when I'll start taking them more seriously.

15. TCU: No Andy Dalton? No way.

16. Michigan State: I don't see lightning striking twice here.

17. Notre Dame: Notre who?

18. Florida: Blah. Blah. Blah. *in mocking voice* "they have Will Muschamp, they've got Charlie Weis, they're gonna shock the world with their new pro-style offense"...yeah, yeah, yeah.

19. Virginia Tech: Does the Beamer train ever not get the E$PN love?

20. Texas: So, you lose a lot of people on your coveted staff and STILL manage to be a Top 25 team? Oh, and about that losing (non-bowl qualifying) season you just finished, are you really THAT much better then 2010?

21. Mississippi State: Fool me once. Shame on you. Fool me twice....

22. Auburn: Not even Nick Saban is convinced you can do it all again.

23. Missouri: Isn't your best player in the NFL Draft already?

24. West Virginia: You only have Pitt to worry about, you should be good every year.

25. Arizona State: As soon as your offense can consistently match up with your defense, then you just might be some kind of special.

Georgia Bulldogs: Will The "Dream Team" Be Complete Without Isaiah Crowell?

National Signing Day is less than a week away and the Georgia Bulldogs are hoping to close out strong. So far, Mark Richt's staff has done a phenomenal job of locking down some of the best the state has to offer, and there seems to be little doubt that this class will be one of his best yet—assuming they can nab a few more of the big names still left on the board.

Ray Drew, the highly-touted defensive end out of Thomasville, Ga., continues to make the most of his experience as one of the nation's best. He's used the power of social media to keep his allegiances a secret and, by this point in the game, it's anyone's guess what school will land him.

He is set to end the suspense tomorrow morning, and there isn't a publication or person anywhere who should be willing to bet the house on what he will say. As of now, the popular opinion is he will be a Bulldog—despite his penchant for speaking negatively about the program—and if Georgia does turn out to be his destination of choice, many hope to see John Jenkins follow.

Jenkins is a major JUCO prospect out of Connecticut and he is expected to step right into the role of nose at Georgia—should he decide to sign.

Still, though, you have to wonder if even those two would be enough to make this class the talk of the SEC? Will either of those guys signatures matter as much if Isaiah Crowell decides to head to Auburn or Alabama?

The bottom line is this: Georgia has put all of their running back eggs into Crowell's basket. They aren't looking at any other players and aren't actively pursuing any other players. It's Crowell or nothing and it's no secret that if he's all that we've been led to believe he is, then he's the guy that stands to make the biggest offensive impact in 2011.

Caleb King and Washaun Ealey have not lived up to their expectations. They have been a disappointment in both behavior and performance, and many are ready to see something better at the running back position come next season.

In the eyes of many, Isaiah Crowell is the player that Georgia needs to return this offense to the type of efficiency it saw in the early days of Richt's tenure. He is felt, by some, to be the "Marcus Lattimore" of the 2011 class—the spark that Georgia needs to make a championship run of their own.

However, his decision is currently unknown as well.

While all signs seem to point to Georgia being his school of choice, his father made some rather interesting comments about what's most important to him (as a parent), "I’m just looking at him finishing his education and going where they can keep him in line and where there’s a good mentor for him. Where and when he’ll play on the field, I’m not really paying attention to all that."

Crowell expressed a similar sentiment last October when he discussed the arrests and issues that Georgia was having with discipline, said Crowell then, "...there’s just a lot of things going wrong. I do want to play right away but I also want to be where it’s disciplined and they win championships."

It sounds like Isaiah and his father are on similar pages. 

While the culture at Georgia appears to be changing, it's unclear if the moves that have been made will be enough to persuade Crowell to sign with the team on February 2. It's a tough call to make given the success of both Alabama and Auburn (two schools who also remain in the running for Crowell.

That said, if Georgia ends up missing on Crowell, will this Georgia class still be a "Dream" or will it fall just shy of expectations?

What say you?

College Football ATS Picks: South Carolina Looks To Knock Off Florida State

The biggest game on the national menu will take place in the Georgia Dome this evening as Florida State locks up with South Carolina for the rights to a 10-win season—the first either team will have seen in quite some time.

South Carolina has fresh memories of their last trip to the Dome—a 56-17 beat down at the hands of Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers—however this game won't bear any resemblance to that one.

Florida State quarterback, Christian Ponder, is expected to make his triumphant return, but he's no Cam Newton and the Seminoles won't have a Nick Fairley to terrorize quarterback Stephen Garcia.

South Carolina has plenty of weapons at its disposal—from freshman running sensation Marcus Lattimore to future NFL draft pick, Alshon Jeffery—not to mention a defense that is tough against the run and well-rested coming into the contest.

Florida State has shown brilliance on both offense and defense this season, but there are questions about the consistency of both units. Can the Seminoles contain the Gamecock's rushing attack for a full 60 minutes?

Will Christian Ponder be ready to come back at full-strength and infuse the Seminoles' offense with the leadership it needs to win the game?

Both teams have plenty to play for so the only question truly is 'who wants it more'?

ATS picks follow. All lines are courtesy of VegasInsider.com. The 'Lady' is 8-9 in ATS bowl picks thus far.

South Florida at Clemson, Meineke Car Care Bowl: Clemson (-5.5)

Clemson isn't a world-beater, but they field a very tough defense and it's tough to imagine that the Bulls will have an answer for anything the Tigers throw at them today—Da'Quan Bowers should be in for another big game.

The Lady's Pick: Clemson to cover

Notre Dame at Miami Hurricanes, Sun Bowl: Miami (-2.5)

Flip a coin in this game as neither side is in the best shape coming into the contest.

The Irish lost many of their games this season due to inconsistent play and key injury. However, they want to finish the year strong and reset for 2011.

As for Miami, coach Shannon is gone, and it is unclear how many players will be motivated to play their best brand of football without their guy on the sideline.

It's a tough one to call, but the return of Jacory Harris might be the difference in this one.

The Lady's Pick: Miami to cover

Central Florida at Georgia, Liberty Bowl: Georgia (-6.5)

Pay attention to the way Georgia plays the run in this one. The Knights are a strong rushing team behind the trio of Ronnie Weaver, Jeff Godfrey, and Latavius Murray and five of Georgia's six losses this season came as a result of poor run defense biting them in the backside.

As for the Knights, they will have the tough task of defending a Georgia passing game that features, arguably, the best wide receiver in the country in A.J. Green. Look for Aaron Murray to take to the air early in this one—hopefully opening up some room for Washaun Ealey and Carlton Thomas to make a play or two against a tough Knights run defense.

The Lady's Pick: UCF to cover

Florida State at South Carolina, Chick-Fil-A Bowl: South Carolina (-3)

Florida State will see the return of Christian Ponder, but unless the Seminole defense can find an answer for a healthy Marcus Lattimore and a determined Alshon Jeffery, that won't matter much.

While both teams sport good run defenses, the edge has to go to the Gamecocks here as they will likely be the most motivated to play well today—erasing the debacle of the SEC Championship from their memory.

The Lady's Pick: South Carolina to cover

Related articles

• Florida State vs. South Carolina Pick, Point Spread & Betting Trends: December 31st 2010 (touthouse.com)
• 2010 SEC Bowl Previews (blogcritics.org)
• Chick-Fil-A Bowl, South Carolina Vs. Florida State: Two Near-BCS Teams Do Battle In Atlanta (sbnation.com)

Friday Snapshot: Gene Chizik As Possible Candidate for UF Job?

Obviously, the fine fans of Auburn University are drinking the Gene Chizik kool-aid—their press included. There is at least one journalist who believes the Florida Gators should consider hiring the, once ridiculed, coach for their football coaching vacancy. That's an interesting thought considering that most people aren't buying his success.

If you remove the talents of Cam Newton from Auburn this season, how many of you really believe that would a) be undefeated, b) on their way to a BCS National Title berth, or c) have a player worthy of Heisman consideration?...Yeah, didn't think so.

Gene Chizik didn't become a genius overnight. He struck gold with Cam Newton and Cam Newton excelled under the offensive scheme of Gus Malzahn. Sure, the stellar play of Michael Dyer, Nick Fairley, and Michael Dyer didn't hurt, but let's not be naive about Newton's impact on this team.

And, for those of you who don't buy the 'one-player-can-make-a-difference' argument, just look at how far the Gators have gone minus Tim Tebow. Even better, what would Ohio State have been without Maurice Clarett—in his one season? Georgia without Herschel in 1980?

Certainly, none of those players led their team to a national title every year, but they definitely placed them in the conversation.

Chizik is still Chizik. Until he duplicates this feat minus Cam Newton, to many, he will still be the guy that Auburn fans booed at the airport.

-And, speaking of misguided expectations, what is all this chatter about Mark Richt being under pressure to win the East now that Meyer is gone? Seriously, in what universe should THAT be an expectation?

While it's understandable that Georgia fans should expect better of this team in year two of the 3-4 defense, under the leadership of Aaron Murray, and minus the anchor that was Dave Van Halanger, it's a mighty big leap to take for any one to start believing Georgia is heading to the SEC Championship Game in 2011.

For one, South Carolina has proven it is better with Marcus Lattimore. He''ll be in season two—stronger and more experienced—will Georgia have an answer for him? Secondly, if both A.J. Green and Justin Houston make their expected exits for the NFL, who will take their places?

Rantavious Wooten, Tavarres King, and Marlon Brown have been flashing their "potential" for years, will they suddenly be able to fulfill it?

Will the running backs be better than this season? And, before you answer that, consider the fact that both Shaun Chapas (one heckuva a lead blocker), and Fred Munzenmaier are both graduating.

That said, there may need to be more tempered enthusiasm in the Bulldog Nation. By no means is an SEC Championship impossible, but the expectation of one is a dangerous proposition this early in the game.

-Some fans will go to any lengths to support their team. Ron Pettichord, a guy who says he's not really a "die-hard [Oregon] Ducks fan" has decided to postpone his heart surgery so that he can be sure to take in the BCS National Title game.

Not for nothing, but, that's what they made DVR's for, right? Seriously...some people.

-

Related articles

• Auburn's Cam Newton: I've done nothing wrong (sportingnews.com)

Alshon Jeffery on Auburn: They Aren't Great...It Was Just Their Day

Talk about having sour grapes.

South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery skipped the normal, sportsmanlike, commentary and simply decided to let the world know how he really felt after his team got spanked by the Auburn Tigers this afternoon—56-17.

When asked what he thought about Auburn, Jeffery stated that "...we could have won that game. I wouldn’t say they were a complete team. It was just their day." And, if that weren't enough, he had this to add "...I wouldn’t say they’re a great team. To me, ain’t nobody a great team."

It would be nice to see what a great team looks like in Alshon's world because, in the world of the real, Auburn comes pretty darn close. They completely dismantled South Carolina's defense—simply picked it to pieces. 


The Tigers defense was on point from snap one and they made it difficult for the South Carolina offense to find it's rhythm at any point during the game.


As for their offense, Cam Newton was Cam Newton—just as he's been all season He went beast all over the Gamecocks tonight—contributing 407 yards of total offense and six touchdowns. The Gamecocks had absolutely no answer for him or his favorite target all season, Darvin Adams. 


His performance tonight all but puts a guarantee on him winning the Heisman in a matter of weeks. There is simply not a better player in the nation than him right now.


As for Jeffery, his comedy didn't end with those comments about Auburn's lack of greatness. No, he had the good grace to explain away his ineffectiveness by stating that we should "talk to Coach about that."

Wonder how the ol' ball coach will feel about that one? Last we checked, it wasn't Spurrier who was out there running routes and getting punked by Auburn's secondary. If anything, Jeffery might have thought he was in for a big game again based on the success he had in their first meeting. 

Unfortunately, Auburn had a plan for him this time and it worked to perfection. 


Don't worry, Alshon, there's always next year. 


*All quotes courtesy of Wes Rucker.

College Football ATS: Can South Carolina Defeat Auburn This Time Around?

After a 13-7 haul last weekend, the 'Lady' finally was able to get above that elusive .500 (79-76) mark. So, with that goal met, and only a few games left to go before championship football and bowl season begin, this site now shifts to picking ATS winners for the next few weeks—every game, every match-up.

The slate this weekend will be a small one, but the biggest one, for those of us who live in the southern part of the country, is likely to be tonight's game between Auburn and South Carolina. South Carolina nearly pulled the upset over the Tigers in their first meeting, but the Cam Newton show took over late in the game—with a little help from a mistake-laden Stephen Garcia—and sealed the win for the Tigers.

So, the natural question this weekend has to be, can Auburn do it again?

At stake for them is a trip to the BCS National Championship game, while South Carolina is hoping to win its first ever SEC Championship. If either feat takes place, both coaches will be lauded as pure genius as it only took one player to make their teams come to life.

For Steve Spurrier, his capture of South Carolina's biggest in-state running back prospect since George Rogers—Marcus Lattimore—has been the catalyst behind the Gamecock's resurgence. Popular opinion has always been if Spurrier could ever find a good back, he might be able to make a little more noise in the SEC East. Lattimore not only exceeded expectations but, in week two, he made his glorious presence felt against a Georgia Bulldog team that often got the better of their match-up.

However, it was his 212-yard, three touchdown performance against Florida that really made heads turned. The Gamecocks had finally arrived and Steve Spurrier has found his man for, presumably, the next three years.

As for Gene Chizik, Cam Newton has been the difference. The SEC's best player has been a menace to all opposing defenses, scurrying and passing his way into record books on his way to leading Auburn to an undefeated season.

If he can make it happen one more time, the Tiger faithful are likely to see their season end with a championship—a national one.

That said, let's jump into the picks for this week:

1. Miami (OH) at Northern Illinois: Northern Illinois (-14.5)

The Huskies enter this game on a nine game winning streak and, during that time, they have been absolutely dominant at home. By contrast, the Redhawks have played many of their games close to the vest and often only manage to win in the final minutes. That said, the Redhawks are prepared for a battle, if need be, even against the No. 1 ranked scoring offense in the conference. This should be a tight one. 

The Lady's Pick: Miami (OH) to cover.

2. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati: Cincinnati (-1.5)

Pittsburgh was embarrassed by West Virginia last week, while the Bearcats were summarily dispatched by Connecticut. Both teams were thought to be Big East factors at the start of the season—neither has impressed. So, this game is about who has enough motivation to come on the field and salvage a disappointing season.

The Lady's Pick: Pittsburgh to cover.

3. Rutgers at West Virginia: West Virginia (-21)

West Virginia is on a roll and Rutgers has been terrible—against just about everybody. It's time for the Scarlet Knights to go back to the drawing board. By contrast, the Mountaineers will just be approaching this game with a win on their mind.

The Lady's Pick: West Virginia to cover.

4. UConn at South Florida: South Florida (-2.5)

The Huskies have been hard to peg this season. They are either lights out or awful. However, South Florida has been equally enigmatic—particularly B.J. Daniels. If the big quarterback, with the talented arm, and fluid mobility can find his groove, he can be the most dangerous man on the football field for the Bulls. That said, if he gets rattled or fails to hit his marks, he can be every bit the disaster.

The Lady's Pick: South Florida to cover.

5. Utah State at Boise State: Boise State (-43)

Clearly, the better team on the field will be the Broncos. However, 43 points just seems ridiculous given the fact that the Broncos are no longer playing for much. Will they have enough energy or motivation to shellac another bad football team?

The Lady's Pick: Utah State

6. Nevada at Louisiana Tech: Nevada (-7.5)

The Wolfpack are coming off a huge win against Boise State and this game may be just an after-thought to them at this point—usually a dangerous mindset to have. However, Colin Kaepernick is not likely to let the Bulldogs break his team's stride.

The Lady's Pick: Nevada to cover.

7. Southern Cal at UCLA: USC (-6.5)

Lane Kiffin will be on the hot seat before too long as it will take a miracle for him to explain how this Trojan team isn't at nine wins—considering the perceived ease of their schedule to start the year. Either way, the Bruins are either as bad as they've looked all or just playing possum. No clue if it's the former or the latter but, in this game, it's probably just safe to go with USC.

The Lady's Pick: USC to cover.

8. Oregon at Oregon State: Oregon (-16.5)

The Beavers play very well at home and they won't be looking to lay down against these Ducks—no matter how good everyone says they are.

The Lady's Pick: Oregon State to cover.

9. Florida State at Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech (-3.5)

The Hokies are a better football team, overall, than the Seminoles. Their experience and the leadership of Tyrod Taylor will be the difference here.

The Lady's Pick: Virginia Tech to cover.

10. Auburn at South Carolina: Auburn (-5)

The Auburn Tigers are nowhere near the same team that the Gamecocks nearly defeated back in week four. Nick Fairley has become a dominant force on the Tiger's defensive line and, despite the ineptitude of Auburn's secondary, the front seven of Auburn can wear down an offensive line like nobody's business.

If that happens, Garcia will be in trouble as his best games seem to happen when Marcus Lattimore is finding space and being effective—Auburn shut Lattimore down the first time. Can they do that again?

The game will come down to line play and Auburn simply has the best of that match-up on both sides of the ball.

The Lady's Pick: Auburn to cover.

The Lady's Luck Picks:

11. Washington over Washington State (NL)


12. Idaho (-13) over San Jose State


13. UNLV (+34.5) at Hawaii


14. Florida Atlantic (-4.5) vs. Troy


15. Middle Tennessee (+5) at Florida International

16. Central Florida (-9) vs. Southern Methodist


17. Oklahoma (-4.5) vs. Nebraska

SEC Football: Power Ranking The SEC Quarterbacks After Week 11

See week ten here.

1. Cam Newton, Auburn (12/15 for 148 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. 30 carries for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns) vs. Georgia.

Newton continues to be the driving force behind the high-powered offense of the Auburn Tigers. His ability to distract and destroy defenses has led to the success of other talented players like Michael Dyer and Onterrio McCalebb—making Auburn a tough proposition for any team this season.

2010 stats: 135/198 for 2,038 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. 206 carries for 1,297 yards and 17 touchdowns. 

2. Aaron Murray, Georgia (15/28 for 273 yards and 3 touchdowns) at Auburn. 

Give Murray his due, he played some tough football on Saturday and, despite the outcome, Georgia fans have to feel good about the future with Aaron Murray standing behind center. Now, if they could just get the offensive line working more consistently so he doesn't get killed...

2010 stats: 173/285 for 2,580 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Four rushing touchdowns. 

3. Tyler Bray, Tennessee (18/34 for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns) vs. Ole Miss.

Listen...ya hear that? That's the sound of Derek Dooley wading in a pool of satisfaction—he just found Tennessee's next starting quarterback.  See ya, Matt Simms—been nice knowing ya.

2010 stats: 62/114 for 950 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. 

4. Ryan Mallett, Arkansas (19/26 for 215 yards and 5 interceptions) vs UTEP. 

UTEP looked like they might make a game of in Fayetteville in the early-going, but Mallett killed that dream on the next play...and then the next...and then the next, etc. as he led the Razorbacks to 35-points on five successive offensive possessions.

2010 stats: 212/315 for 2,967 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. 

5. Greg McElroy, Alabama (12/18 for 227 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception) vs Mississippi State. 

McElroy had two big passes in the second quarter to put the Tide comfortably ahead of the Bulldogs and help put an exclamation point on a solid win for Alabama.

2010 stats: 170/246 for 2,231 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.

6. Mike Hartline, Kentucky (15/23 for 232 yards and 1 touchdown) vs. Vanderbilt. 

Thanks to some nice running by Randall Cobb (10 carries, for 170 yards, and 2 touchdowns), Hartline didn't have to do too much to lead the Wildcats to victory. It also didn't hurt that they were playing Vanderbilt, a team that, at this point, just needs this season to be over.

2010 stats: 237/361 for 2,906 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. 

7. Stephen Garcia, South Carolina (15/22 for 156 yards and 1 rushing touchdown) at Florida.

When your featured back is killing the opposing defense for 212 yards and 3 touchdowns, there is little you have to do except not be careless with the football. Garcia owes Marcus Lattimore all the glory for being the primary reason the Gamecocks finally won an SEC Eastern Division Championship.

2010 stats: 166/245 for 2,221 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. 

8. John Brantley, Florida (16/31 for 130 yards and 1 touchdown) vs. South Carolina. 


Willing to make a bet that not many Florida Gator fans believed John Brantley would be this ineffective when the 2010 season began. This system is not made for a player of Brantley's skill-set. It doesn't matter what Adazzio does, Brantley doesn't fit and everyone knows it—including Urban Meyer and John Brantley.

2010 stats: 172/282 yards for 1,746 yards, 8 touchdowns, and  7 interceptions.

9. Larry Smith, Vanderbilt (10/26 for 128 yards and 1 rushing touchdown) at Kentucky. 

Larry Smith is probably ready to get the heck out of Nashville after this season. He still has one more year to play but, after seeing a coaching change, numerous injuries, and getting the gift of an anemic offense, he can't be too thrilled about what 2011 has to offer.

2010 stats: 106/220 for 1,106 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. Four rushing touchdowns. 

10. Tyler Russell/Chris Relf (12/23 for 150 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception) at Alabama.

Mississippi State's offense has been suspect all season, to be honest, and they finally ran out of time against a Tide defense that was determined to play well on Saturday—despite the knowledge that Auburn was taking their SEC West title.

11. Jeremiah Masoli, Ole Miss (7/18 for 80 yards and 3 interceptions) at Tennessee.

 Masoli looked pretty awful on Saturday. Of course, it didn't help that his offensive line had no answer for a swarming Tennessee defensive front. He was pressured and punished all day long as Tennessee coasted.

2010 stats: 128/229 for 1,601 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. 99 carries for 468 yards and 4 touchdowns. 

12. Jordan Jefferson, LSU (4/10 for 51 yards) vs. Louisiana-Monroe. 

Ya know, they say if you can't say anything nice, then say nothing at all.

2010 stats: 79/146 yards for 815 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. 88 carries for 304 yards and 5 touchdowns. 

SEC Football: Power Ranking The Quarterbacks After Week 10

See week nine here.
1. Tyler Bray, Tennessee (19/33 for 325 yards and 5 touchdowns) at Memphis. 

Yes, it was Memphis and, yes, the Vols were expected to whip up on the Tigers. Still, you have to give credit where credit is due.

Bray didn't make many mistakes and he played one heckuva game—giving his team a much-needed victory.

2010 stats: 44/80 for 628 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.

2. Cam Newton, Auburn (15/21 for 317 yards and 4 touchdowns. 8 carries for 24 yards and 1 
touchdown) vs. Chattanooga.

It's Cam Newton. He's been making defenses look silly all season—this week was no exception.

2010 stats: 123/183 for 1,890 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. 176 carries for 1,46 yards and 15 touchdowns.

3. Aaron Murray, Georgia (19/27 for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns) vs Idaho State.

For a minute, it looked like Murray was still suffering from the headache that beset him after performing so uncharacteristically at Florida. The offense was sputtering and, by the end of the first quarter, they only managed to score three points against one of the worst defenses in college football.

However, he seemed to find his bearings by the second quarter—leading Georgia to 35-points before retiring to the sidelines early in the third.

2010 stats: 158/257 for 2,307 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Four rushing touchdowns.  

4. Ryan Mallett, Arkansas (21/30 for 303 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. 4 carries for 6 yards and 1 touchdown) at South Carolina.

Bobby Petrino's club really has that running game going now and that has opened up even more possibilities for Mallett in the passing game.

Mallett played, nearly, lights-out in capturing a huge road win for his Razorbacks—aided in large part by the tough running of Knile Davis and a defense that came ready to shut the Gamecocks down.

2010 stats:  193/289 for 2,752 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. 3 rushing touchdowns. 

5.  Greg McElroy, Alabama (21/34 for 223 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception) at LSU.

McElroy has taken his fair share of lumps this season as he's already seen more losses this year than he did in the previous two. However, he still played well enough on Saturday to lead the Tide to a win—if not for the maverick playcalling of LSU's Les Miles.

2010 stats: 158/228 for 2004 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. 1 rushing touchdown. 

6. Mike Hartline, Kentucky (15/24 for 272 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception) vs Charleston-Southern.

Hartline finally got the Wildcats back in the win column against a, tougher than expected, Charleston-Southern team that looked like it might steal one early on.

2010 stats: 222/338 for 2,674 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. 1 rushing touchdowns. 

7. John Brantley, Florida (11/18 for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns) at Vanderbilt.

The Commodores are falling apart at the seams and Florida took advantage of it by routing them—setting up an SEC Eastern Division showdown at the Swamp this weekend.

2010 stats: 156/251 for 1,616 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. 

8. Jordan Jefferson, LSU (10/13 for 141 yards and 1 touchdown) vs. Alabama. 

He didn't appear to be his, usually, head-scratching self on Saturday—that helped. However, the biggest pass of the night belonged to Jarrett Lee (a 47-yard bomb to win the game).

2010 stats: 75/136 for 764 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. 5 rushing touchdowns. 

9. Stephen Garcia, South Carolina (14/29 for 161 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions) vs. Arkansas.

Garcia didn't have the complimentary rushing game from Marcus Lattimore to help him out this week (the freshman gained only 30-yards on the day) and that, obviously, hurt the passing game.

2010 season stats: 151/223 for 2,065 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. 4 rushing touchdowns. 

10. Nathan Stanley, Ole Miss (6/14 for 108 yards) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette.


Jeremiah Masoli looked to be on his way to a good game before being knocked out with a concussion (5/7 for 72 yards and 1 touchdown. 3 carries for 17 yards and 1 touchdown), but Stanley came in to manage in relief. He got the win for the Rebels, but deferred to his running game for most of the dirty work.

11. Jared Funk and Larry Smith, Vanderbilt (10/36 for 63 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception) vs. Florida. 

It seems to go without saying, Vanderbilt needs some help at quarterback.

Georgia Bulldogs Football: 10 Things Not To Do Against The Auburn Tigers

This is the time of week that this site offers a "10 Things To Know..." section, discussing the upcoming opponent.

Well, by this point in the season, we have all seen, read, and heard so much about the Auburn Tigers, that it would be a near impossibility to offer anything of substance.

With that in mind, this week will be a bit different as we will touch on the things that Georgia does not need to do if they expect to have a chance at winning this Saturday.

So, let's just jump right into it: 

1. Come out flat.

Georgia should have come out firing against the Bengals last week but, as they have often done this season, the offense came out looking mediocre and out of sync. If they do that against Auburn this weekend, they will find themselves in a hole very quickly.

They cannot come out looking dazed and confused like they did last week or the week prior against the Gators. The Tigers will bury them early if they do.

2. Concentrate too much on Cam Newton.

Cam Newton might be the most recognizable and talked about weapon on the field for Auburn, but he's not the ONLY weapon for the Tigers.

Michael Dyer leads the SEC in rushing—for a freshman. He has more yards than Marcus Lattimore and he's been a perfect compliment to Newton this season. Add to that, both Darvin Adams (WR) and the emerging Terrell Zachery (WR), are every bit the playmakers they appear to be.

Georgia cannot allow No. 2 to occupy so much of their mental and physical attention that they leave the other guys on the field free to beat them.

3. Forget how to pass protect—again. 

Nick Fairley is a beast and, if left unattended, he will feast on Aaron Murray.

For all the chatter about how poised and steady Murray has been this season, he has yet to truly face a defense as athletic, tough, and fierce as this Auburn front seven, and he's going to need a competent line, giving their best effort,  if he hopes to have a shot at picking apart Auburn's secondary.

4. Turn the ball over.

This is obvious, but it had to be said.

Georgia has both lost and gained momentum on turnovers this season. They need to be stingy with the football this weekend. No bobbles, no bad snaps, no forgetting how to secure the ball on long-gainers, etc.

Hold onto the football and be purposeful with every pass. 

5. Blitz too early and/or too often. 

While the "attacking style" defense of the 3-4 has been effective at points this season, Newton isn't going to crumble under the pressure of whatever Georgia has to offer. He's got a passer efficiency rating of 258.4 and a completion percentage of better than 70 percent against the blitz.

In other words, it hasn't worked on him.

The best thing Georgia can do is neutralize the running game and concentrate on jamming the routes of the Auburn receivers. If they can do that, they will flush Newton out of the pocket.

While that may seem like a poor option—given the fact that he's tallied more than 1,100 yards on the ground this season—it's the one that offers Georgia (which is currently No. 2 in the conference against the run) the best chance at disrupting the Tigers offense.

6. Over-commit to the running game. 

If Auburn's pass defense is shaky, then their rush defense is the steadying force that evens things out.

The Tigers are third in the SEC in rush defense (114.0 ypg). More to the point, Auburn has been
deadly good against the run this year and the three-headed monster of Caleb King, Washaun Ealey, and Carlton Thomas isn't likely to leave them with nightmares.

The most important players on the field for Georgia will be Kris Durham, A.J. Green, Tavarres King, and Orson Charles.

Should they abandon the run? No, but if they see it's not effective, they shouldn't remain so committed to it, that they fail to consider other playcalling options.

7. Allow Auburn to set the tempo. 

Auburn hasn't been the kind of team that grinds out plays. They have, for the most part, been quick to strike and quick to score. Georgia cannot allow the Tigers to control the tempo of this game, they don't run the kind of offense that would allow them to go toe-to-toe with Auburn for 60 minutes and if they have to get into a shout-out with Cam Newton and his trusty brigade, the defense could be sucking wind before halftime.

Georgia has to find a way to control the clock, keep the Auburn offense off the field, and slow the game down enough that Auburn has to adjust to them—not the other way around.

8. Get too caught up in this being the "Best Team In The Nation".

Part of Murray's problem against the Gators was he let his emotions control his play for the better part of 30 minutes. He was too pumped, too anxious, and too embedded in it being "Georgia-Florida". He cannot do that on Saturday if he expects to run an efficient, focused, and productive offense.

Ditto that for the defense. They need to play this game like it's just another opponent—don't let the ranking or "what this win means for the program" come onto the field of play.

Finish. The. Drill.

9.  Fail to maintain defensive intensity on third down.

All season it has seemed that Georgia goes full-out on first and second downs, then completely falls apart on third downs—no better example of this than against the Kentucky Wildcats a few weeks back.
Georgia needs to maintain a consistent level of intensity on every. single. down.

Defensive lapses have killed them all season and, more often than not, have led to momentum-changing plays.

10. Tighten up if the game is close. 

Cam Newton has proven that he only gets more resolved, more focused, and more calm as the game winds down. He's ready to play for all 60 and he's willing to take the team on his back if he has to. By contrast, Georgia hasn't found their formula for doing the same.

The tighter the game, the more prone to mistakes they become.

If they find themselves in a position to win on Saturday, they need to play like they both deserve and CAN win. If they don't believe it, their play on the field will reflect it, and they will have already lost.

What say you, do you like the Bulldog's chances to make a game of it this weekend?

College Football: Power Ranking The SEC Quarterbacks After Week Nine

See week eight here.
1. Ryan Mallett, Arkansas (27/44 for 409 yards and 3 touchdowns) vs. Vanderbilt. 

Mallett is finally coming back from the haze that beset him when he was knocked out of the Auburn game a couple weeks ago—he and his big arm came to play on Saturday.

Vanderbilt looked over-matched, tired, and defeated long before halftime and, not surprisingly, failed to show up in the second half at all as the Razorbacks traipsed all over them en route to another win.

2010 season stats: 172/259 for 2,449 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. 

2. Cam Newton, Auburn (18/24 for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns) at Ole Miss. 

Okay, so he wasn't SuperCam this past week, but he still accounted for 21 of Auburn's 51 points in their rout of Ole Miss.

Most impressive in this game was he added a third-dimension to his march towards the Heisman (is there really anyone else that can touch him?) by acting as wide receiver—scoring on a 20-yard touchdown touchdown pass. 

2010 season stats: 108/162 for 1,573 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. 168 carries for 1,122 
yards and 14 touchdowns. 

3. Stephen Garcia, South Carolina (13/22 for 223 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. 10 carries for 18 yards and 2 touchdowns) at Tennessee. 

Garcia wasn't brilliant as a passer, but his legs and arm led the way for the Gamecocks as they managed to withstand a determined Volunteers team—the return of Marcus Lattimore (who rushed for 184 yards and a touchdown) didn't hurt his efforts much either.

2010 season stats: 137/194 for 1,904 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. 62 carries for 86 yards and 4 touchdowns. 

4. Tyler Bray, Tennessee (9/15 for 159 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception) vs. South Carolina. 

It was a noble effort for Bray who rallied the Volunteers' offense to 14 second half points to tie the game at 24. However, as has been the case all season for Dooley's bunch, they simply couldn't sustain their intensity for the whole 60 minutes—giving up 14 points to the Gamecocks late in the fourth quarter—ending their comeback bid.

2010 season stats: 25/47 for 302 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. 

5. Chris Relf, Mississippi State (7/16 for 111 yards and 1 touchdown. 16 carries for 79 yards and 1 touchdown) vs. Kentucky.

Relf sealed the win with a late touchdown run in the fourth quarter and, as has been the case for this entire season, he didn't have to be impressive—just deliberate—as he led Dan Mullens crew to their 7th win of the season.

2010 season stats: 70/131 for 926 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. 123 carries for 507 yards and 3 touchdowns. 

6. Jeremiah Masoli, Ole Miss (20/33 for 189 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception) vs. Auburn. 

There was little Masoli could have done to stop the Newton train from plowing through Oxford on Saturday. Auburn had too many weapons and Masoli's average effort wasn't going to be enough to stay in the same league as the Tigers.

Still, he gets marginal credit for being, for the most part, smart with the football and not leading his team to a worse beating than they could have suffered.

2010 season stats: 116/203 for 1,449 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. 89 carries for 429 yards and 3 touchdowns. 

7. Aaron Murray, Georgia (18/37 for 313 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions) at Florida. 

Well, for the first time this season, Aaron Murray looked like the redshirt freshman that he is—fumbling once and throwing three picks. While he gets an 'A' for the effort he took in bringing the Bulldogs back in the fourth and forcing overtime, his costly interception in the overtime period all but sealed the deal on a Georgia loss—a painful one to be sure.

2010 season stats: 139/230 for 2,079 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. 62 carries for 181 yards and 4 touchdowns. 

8. Mike Hartline, Kentucky (23/41 for 258 yards 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions) at Mississippi State.

It has been an emotional ride for the Wildcats all season as they always seem to be just a few minutes shy of sealing the deal on a win. This past weekend was no different as the team let another one slip away late in the game. Hartline wasn't nearly as impressive this week—throwing the last-minute interception that ended all hopes of the Wildcats upsetting another Top 25 team.

2010 season stats: 207/314 for 2,402 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions.

9. John Brantley, Florida (16/25 for 193 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception) vs. Georgia.

Lucky for Florida, they really didn't need Brantley—who saw the turf more than he saw the endzone—as Trey Burton (17 carries for 110 yards and 1 touchdown), Chris Rainey (16 carries for 84 yards and 1 touchdown), and that opportunistic Florida defense led the way to a Gator victory.

2010 season stats: 145/233 for 1,459 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. 

10. Larry Smith, Vanderbilt (4/12 for 25 yards and 1 touchdown) at Arkansas.

25 yards?...Really. What else can you say about Larry Smith as an SEC quarterback?

2010 season stats: 89/176 for 1,030 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. 75 carries for 351 yards and 3 touchdowns.

College Football Betting Odds: Will The Auburn Tigers Be The Next No. 1 To Fall?

The Lady got back to being average last week, finishing the weekend slate with a 5-5 record. The challenge for this site has become to complete the season ABOVE .500 and, sitting at 34-41 on the year, there is still plenty of work left to do before that goal is accomplished.

So, this week, the usual ten picks will be upped to fifteen—just for kicks. To keep it interesting, there will be no "cupcakes"—all Division-I. The Lady will either sink or swim with her choices but, there again, she always does.

The time stamp offered by this posting may not reflect the lines as you may find them to be as of Thursday morning, but as of 8:33 Wednesday night, these were the lines offered by VegasInsider.com.

Let's get it going, shall we:

1. Ole Miss vs. Auburn: Auburn (-7)

The Tigers are really feeling like winners right now, aren't they? They're the No. 1 team in the nation, undefeated in the SEC, sporting a Heisman contender (likely the Heisman winner) at quarterback...things are looking sweet on The Plains right now.

Well, here's the thing about that, Auburn has looked lights out all season EXCEPT on the road where they've struggled against both Kentucky and Mississippi State. Ole Miss has one of the most mobile quarterbacks the Tigers have faced all season and Masoli is coming off one of his best games of the season.

Don't sleep on the Rebels.

The Lady's Pick: Ole Miss

2. Southern Cal vs. Oregon: Oregon (-7)

Oregon is mad as hell, and they aren't gonna take it any more!

If you're Chip Kelly's bunch, you have to be wondering what on earth you have to do in order to see some BCS respect—a little No. 1 love? Well, the best way to get that is to go to L.A. and stomp the living crap out of Lane Kiffin's boys.

If they can do that, they might be able to get enough of a boost to pull those Auburn Tigers right off their mantle.

The Lady's Pick:  Oregon

3. Connecticut vs. West Virginia: (-6.5)

Connecticut has to break in another quarterback this week and, although, they are playing at home, they have looked another shade of awful over the last two weeks—against both Rutgers and Louisville.

Are they really going to improve that much between then and Friday?...Not likely.

The Lady's Pick: West Virginia

4.  Illinois vs. Purdue: Illinois (-17.5) 

What did Illinois do to deserve this much respect?

Purdue hasn't been good this year, but they've played every team they have faced in a tough fashion this season. Illinois beat the crap out of Indiana last week, and no disrespect to the Hoosiers, but that's not saying much.

The Lady's Pick: Purdue

5.  Iowa vs. Michigan State: Iowa (-6)

Michigan State averted a disaster in Illinois last week against a tough Northwestern team. That won't happen again in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes will be ready to get stop the Spartans streak in Iowa City.

The Lady's Pick: Iowa

6. South Carolina vs. Tennessee: South Carolina (-17.5)

Tennessee doesn't look good. The lack of depth, the issues on the offensive line, the quarterback spot, etc...all look completely exhausted at this point.

By stark contrast, the Gamecocks will be playing at home...with Marcus Lattimore.

The Lady's Pick: South Carolina

7. Mississippi State vs. Kentucky: Mississippi State (-6.5)

Kentucky is better than their record. Mississippi State isn't as good as theirs.

The Lady's Pick: Kentucky

8. Oklahoma State vs. Kansas State: Oklahoma State (-5.5)

Brandon Weeden just, unexpectedly, lost his No. 1 receiver. That means the Cowboys offense just got run-heavy. The Wildcats would be wise to take advantage of the Cowboys period of adjustment.

The Lady's Pick: Kansas State

9. Nebraska vs. Missouri: Missouri (-7.5)

The Cornhuskers were on the opposite side of this line two-weeks ago against the Longhorns—they blew it. Don't look for Pelini's bunch to make the same mistake twice.

The Lady's Pick: Nebraska

10. Oregon State vs. California: Oregon State (-2.5)

The Golden Bears feel pretty good about themselves after a huge win over the Sun Devils last week, but they should be careful not to bring too much of that ego into Oregon this weekend. The Beavers play well at home and the Bears have been woeful on the road.

The Lady's Pick: Oregon State

Lady's Luck Picks:

11. Washington State (+21) at Arizona State


12. Minnesota (+25.5) vs. Ohio State


13. Penn State (-3) vs. Michigan


14. Miami (-15.5) at Virginia


15. Kansas (+19) at Iowa State

College Football: Power Ranking The SEC Quarterbacks After Week Eight

See week seven here.

1. Jeremiah Masoli, Ole Miss ( 21/36 for 327 yards and 3 touchdowns. 15 carries for 98 yards) at Arkansas.

Masoli played some of his best football of the season, accounting for 425 of the 512 yards the Rebels tallied against the Hogs on Saturday.

Down early to Arkansas, the Rebels seemed headed for a rout by Mallett and his crew, but Houston Nutt's team showed a lot of heart in rallying from an 18-point deficit to make a game of it late. By the start of the fourth quarter, the Rebels only trailed by seven.

But, alas, the tough running of Knile Davis was the difference in the fourth where, minus Mallett,  Arkansas staved off the rally and won the game.

2010 season stats: 96/170 for 1,260 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. 75 carries for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns. 


2. Mike Hartline, Kentucky (27/43 for 353 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception) vs. Georgia


Mike Hartline did all he could do to get his team back in the game on Saturday, but the 'cardiac cats' just didn't have quite enough steam to overcome another early deficit.
 

2010 season stats: 184/273 for 2,144 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. 

3. Stephen Garcia, South Carolina (31/39 for 355 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception) at Vanderbilt.


The Gamecocks averted another disaster at the hands of the Commodores, and they didn't even need Marcus Lattimore to get the job done.

Garcia took advantage of his team's strong rushing attack—led by a 146-yard effort from Brian Maddox—to get the ball rolling through the air, as he made mince-meat of the Commodores' secondary. 


2010 season stats: 124/172 for 1,681 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. 

4. Greg McElroy, Alabama (21/32 for 264 yards) at Tennessee


McElroy didn't have eye-popping totals through the air, but his steady-handed play put Mark Ingram in position to score two big touchdowns for the Crimson Tide.


2010 season stats: 137/194 for 1,781 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. 

5. Cam Newton, Auburn (10/16 for 86 yards. 28 carries for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns).


It would be easy to place Newton in the top spot again this week based on his rushing totals alone—they are simply other-worldly. That said, a quarterback, by definition, is supposed to spend the better part of his game passing the ball, not running it.

Spread or no spread, the lack of genuine playmakers around Newton will become a problem at some point—he can't keep doing it alone.

2010 season stats: 90/138 for 1,364 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. 157 carries for 1,077 yards and 14 touchdowns. 

6. Ryan Mallett, Arkansas (13/24 for 196 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception) vs. Ole Miss.

Mallett's night ended early for the second straight week, this time due to a bruised shoulder, but his team managed to seal the victory on the strong running of Knile Davis in the fourth quarter.

2010 season stats: 145/215 for 2,040 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions.

7. Aaron Murray, Georgia (9/12 for 113 yards) at Kentucky.

Murray wasn't spectacular on Saturday, but he didn't have to be. He kept it simple, let Ealey do the dirty work, and didn't hurt his team by throwing ill-advised passes.

The kid has been steady, focused, and smart with the football all season. It's a trend that will, hopefully, continue to be seen next week when Georgia faces Urban Meyer's Gators. 

2010 season stats: 121/193 for 1,766 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. 54 carries for 165 yards and 4 touchdowns. 

8. Larry Smith, Vanderbilt (13/31 for 142 yards. 15 carries for 48 yards and 1 touchdown).

Smith has never been a world-beater. He's got some skills at running the ball, but his arm is nothing to write home about on a weekly basis. Vandy made a valiant effort at upending the Gamecocks on Saturday, but it just wasn't meant to be.

2010 season stats: 85/164 for 1,005 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. 66 carries for 195 yards and 3 touchdowns.   



9.  Chris Relf, Mississippi State (8/19 for 107 yards and 1 touchdown. 20 carries for 51 yards) vs UAB.

It's hard to say what's more amazing: the fact that Mississippi State manages to keep winning with Relf or the fact that they might be worse off without him.

Hats off to Dan Mullen for maximizing the potential of his junior quarterback—he's been just good enough to get the job done.


2010 season stats: 63/114 for 815 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. 107 carries for 428 yards and 2 touchdowns. 


10. Matt Simms, Tennessee (12/22 for 117 yards and 1 interception) vs Alabama.


Simms is a tough kid but he's been beat up this season—badly. Clearly, it's beginning to take its toll, too, after a big hit from Marcel Dareus, the junior called it a night.


2010 season stats: 100/176 for 1,253 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.


11. Jordan Jefferson, LSU (7/14 for 46 yards and 1 interception. 16 carries for 74 yards and 1 touchdown) at Auburn. 

Jordan Jefferson is awful. He's been awful all season. He was benched in favor of the, slightly less awful Jarrett Lee, but after Lee's atrocious performance against McNeese St. last week, LSU's coach, Les Miles, was looking for a spark.


Well, in case he hasn't figured it out yet, Jefferson is not "THAT" guy—he never will be.

2010 season stats: 65/123 for 623 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. 78 carries for 281 yards and 5 touchdowns.

College Football Odds (ATS): Can Northwestern Pull The Upset Over Michigan State?

The 'Lady' is getting killed against the spread (ATS) over the last couple weeks as another below average finish sets the site record at 29-36. However, it's not time to give up on this weekly pick em' yet, even though it's been heavily contemplated.

That said, we will dive head first into another slate of possible spread-breakers—there are plenty to choose from this week.

As usual, all lines are quoted via courtesy of VegasInsider.com.

1. Northwestern vs. Michigan State: Michigan State (-6)

People are figuring that Michigan State has to lose one eventually. After all, there is no way they are really THIS good, right? Well, the verdict is still out on that point but, one thing is for certain, the Wildcats will have their hands full trying to contain Kirk Cousins, Edwin Baker, and Le'Veon Bell.  The home field advantage will help, but, it may not be enough.

The Lady's Pick: Michigan State

2. Rutgers vs. Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh (-13)

It's not that Rutgers is phenomenal on offense, but they do have a good rushing defense—despite the impression the Army game might have given you. That said, Dion Lewis hasn't been nearly as dominant this season as he was in 2009 and Greg Schiano has a way of getting his team ready for the big game.

The Lady's Pick: Rutgers

3. Iowa State vs. Texas: Texas (-21)

This seems like an awful lot of points for the Longhorns to cover, especially given the fact that they are coming off a huge upset victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers last week. Iowa State's defense is deplorable, but Texas has had some questionable play over the season too—remember Wyoming?

Keeping that in mind, it just seems unlikely that the Longhorns get it done this week.

The Lady's Pick: Iowa State

4. Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina: South Carolina (-12.5)

Vanderbilt was embarrassed last week—getting shut-out by Georgia—and South Carolina is clearly a different offense minus Marcus Lattimore.

The Lady's Pick: Vanderbilt

5. Arkansas vs. Mississippi: Arkansas (-9.5)

You can bet that Houston Nutt will be ready for whatever Bobby Petrino has for him in Fayetteville. If there is one thing that Nutt has, historically, done well, it's getting his team prepared for big games.

Jeremiah Masoli will have more room to run than he did last week and, although Ryan Mallett is ready to play (suspect given he sustained a concussion just six-days ago), this game will come down to pride for Houston Nutt. 

The Lady's Pick: Mississippi 

6. BYU vs Wyoming: BYU (-10.5)

BYU should not be favored by anything more than three points over any opponent for the rest of the year. They are deplorable this season.

The Lady's Pick: Wyoming

7. Mississippi State vs. UAB: Mississippi State (-20)

There is no denying the fact that the Bulldogs are on a roll this year, but it seems premature to start giving them this much respect against a UAB team that has shown no hesitation in going toe-to-toe with any opponent this season—including a near defeat of Tennessee at Neyland Stadium. Buyer beware.

The Lady's Pick: UAB

8. Oklahoma vs Missouri: Oklahoma (-3)

Either you like Oklahoma or you don't.

The Sooners might be ranked the No. 1 but, as usual, that ranking is premature given the fact that they've looked just a touch average over mediocre opponents this season. Missouri will have the home crowd on their side, and this seems just the spot for the Sooners to choke.

The Lady's Pick: Missouri 

9. Tennessee vs. Alabama: Alabama (-18)


There's something wrong with Alabama's run game right now. Neither Mark Ingram, nor Trent Richardson, look as dominant as they did earlier in the year. Not to mention, Julio Jones is banged up and Marcel Dareus is doing the best he can working with a bum ankle. Add all that together and you have a team that is in desperate need of a break.

Tennessee may not be very good right now but, fortunately for them, they won't need to be.

The Lady's Pick: Tennessee

10. LSU vs. Auburn: Auburn (-6)

The easy pick here is Auburn. No team has been able to slow Cam Newton in the slightest and he's been money all season long. That said, the Tiger's have been suspect against even the most moderate defense and, if not for the Razorbacks atrocious secondary, that game might not have been the blowout it became.

LSU has a ton of questions on offense but their defense has been solid.

The Lady's Pick: LSU

College Football: Power RankingThe SEC Quarterbacks After Week Seven

See week six here.

1. Mike Hartline, Kentucky (32/42 for 349 yards, and 4 touchdowns) vs. South Carolina.

Don't look now but, the SEC has a new passing leader, and his name is not Ryan Mallett. 

Mike Hartline took another big step towards legendary status, in Lexington, as he led his team to a big victory over the No. 10 South Carolina Gamecocks. The senior has been nothing but steady-handed all season long and that has been the primary reason for the success this team has had through the air.

He's definitely come along way in four seasons and this year is most certainly his best yet.

2010  season stats: 157/230 for 1791 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.

2. Cam Newton, Auburn (10/14 for 140-yards, and 1 touchdown. 25 carries for 188-yards and 3 touchdowns) vs. Arkansas.

You ever get the feeling that it's just not fair that Cam Newton has been able to be this dominant? People like to compare him to Tim Tebow but, if memory serves, Tebow did most of his damage inside the 20-yard line, on dives, and on designed QB sneaks. Newton is, literally, a runner who happens to have an arm—how on earth do you stop that?

Newton, again, took the game in his own hands as his Auburn Tigers outlasted the Arkansas Razorbacks in a 65-43 shoot-out at The Plains.

2010 season stats: 80/122 for 1278 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. 129 carries for 860 yards (net) and 12 touchdowns.  

3. Aaron Murray, Georgia (15/24 for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns) vs. Vanderbilt

Murray left the running game to his running backs this week and just let his arm do the talking—and did it talk. The redshirt freshman continues to show poise and character in the pocket as he settles into this offense and gets to know his receivers.

On Saturday he sent a stern message to all of those who believe he only has eyes for A.J. Green as he made it a point to pass the ball to Georgia's other receivers—particularly Kris Durham, Tavares King, and Aron White—and proved that this team will no longer succumb to being a one-trick pony where the air game is concerned.

Murray continues to, quietly, impress and mature into his role as the Bulldog's quarterback of the future.

2010 season stats: 112/181 for 1,653 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. 51 carries for 158 yards and 4 touchdowns.

4. Tyler Wilson, Arkansas (25/34 for 332 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions) at Auburn.

Give the young man a little credit for keeping the Razorbacks close—for a time—in a game that most wrote off after Ryan Mallett exited with a head-injury. Wilson did his best impression of Mallett, leading the Hogs up and down the field against a porous Auburn pass defense that can thank the, equally, porous Arkansas secondary, as well as the legs of Cam Newton, for their big win.

If Mallett is out for an extended period, there are no guarantees that Wilson can duplicate this performance, but with Greg Childs, Jarius Wright, and Joe Adams on the field to catch his passes, you have to like his chances to remain an able substitute for at least one more week.

2010 season stats: 26/37 for 338 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. 

5. Stephen Garcia, South Carolina (20/32 for 382 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions) at Kentucky.

It was a losing effort, but Garcia looked good for, roughly, 58 minutes, and he nearly brought his team to victory in the closing seconds.  However, Kentucky proved too strong and too determined and the Gamecocks utter elation from defeating No. 1 Alabama the week prior, became utter deflation as they watched their BCS hopes fall yet again.

That said, Garcia has done a fine job this season of not making too many mistakes and keeping his team in the hint, but now the team will be forced to find out how much of their success is due to the presence of Marcus Lattimore's running, rather than the progression of Garcia's skills.

2010 season stats: 93/133 for 1,326 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. 45 carries for 83 yards and 2 touchdowns.

6. Greg McElroy, Alabama (17/25 for 219 yards and 2 touchdowns) vs. Ole Miss.

McElroy didn't have to do too much, despite a still-absent rushing attack, but he managed to do what was needed to secure a win for the Tide—while letting the defense do the dirty work.

2010 season stats: 116/162 for 1,517 yards, 11 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. 

7.  John Brantley, Florida (24/39 for 219 yards, and 1 interception) vs. Mississippi State

Brantley is floundering in this Gator offense and he needs an exit-strategy if this is all this team has planned for him. He's been average all season and, in the Gator's last three losses, he's been as unimpressive as a Florida quarterback can be without being on the bench (56/129 for 566 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions).

That's not going to cut it in Gainesville, folks.

2010 season stats: 129/208 for 1,266 yards, 6 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. 

8. Jeremiah Masoli, Ole Miss (18/40 for 110 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception) at Alabama. 

Masoli tried his best to find room to run against Alabama's defense, but he found no success. Once he was shut down, there went the Rebel offense as well.

2010 season stats: 75/134 for 933 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. 60 carries for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns. 

9. Jarrett Lee, LSU (9/16 for 75 yards) vs. McNeese State. 

LSU is desperate for good quarterback play and, for a moment, it seemed Lee was the answer they were looking for. Well, the chariot has returned to its pumpkin status and the Tigers are back to looking for a better alternative—unfortunately for them, there isn't one.

How much luck do you think Les Miles has in his headset because he's going to need it this weekend.

2010 season stats: 36/50 for 405 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. 

10. Chris Relf, Mississippi State (4/9 for 33 yards. 22 carries for 82 yards and 1 touchdown) at 
Florida. 

If someone had told you, at the start of the season, that Chris Relf would be the quarterback of a team  ranked ahead of both Georgia and Florida, would you have believed it?

2010 season stats: 55/95 for 708 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. 87 carries for 377 yards and 2 touchdowns. 

11. Larry Smith, Vanderbilt (5/14 for 70 yards and 1 interception) at Georgia.  

Larry Smith didn't stand a chance against a Georgia defense that was playing for pride as much as they were a win. The junior found few passing lanes, no running lanes, and no points for his Commodores.

2010 season stats: 72/133 for 863 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. 51 carries for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns.

College Football Rankings: It's Time to Ditch The Preseason AP Poll—It's Useless

If you're a fan of Michigan State, South Carolina or Nevada, you felt good waking up this past Sunday, finding your team making moves in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25.

After all, it's reassuring to have a team that's recognized on a national level as one to be reckoned with—respected.

However, if you’re a fan of one of the above-mentioned, then you also recall that they were not given such respect a mere five weeks ago—when none of them were ranked.

That's right, South Carolina (a team that just beat the brakes off the No. 1 team in the land), Michigan State (the only team that has been able to slow Denard Robinson down), nor Nevada (who managed to beat BYU in Provo) were listed in the AP Preseason Top 25—not a one.

By stark contrast, you know what teams were listed in said poll: Pittsburgh (a team that has two wins on the year), Virginia Tech (a team that lost to a I-AA opponent in week two), and Penn State (a team that just lost by 20 points to Illinos...in HAPPY VALLEY).

Did any of those teams really deserve to be considered Top 25 worthy?  Think about it? Did any of them warrant as much respect as they received earlier in the year?

Of course, it's easy to say "no" now because we’ve seen them play. We know who has playmakers (Marcus Lattimore of South Carolina and Kirk Cousins of Michigan State) and who’s missing their departed players (Tim Tebow of Florida and Daryll Clark of Penn State).

However, why did it have to take so many of these teams losing before anyone started taking a closer look at the teams that were actually playing good football? After all, if you follow a particular conference, most of these things weren’t hard to miss.

For example, people are looking at South Carolina as being "for real" now that they’ve beaten Alabama, but the average SEC fan knew this was a possibility eight months ago.

Outsiders looked at the Oregon Ducks as being done after the Jeremiah Masoli suspension, but the average Pac-10 fan knew better—Chip Kelly is no slouch where quarterback development is concerned—and most felt Oregon would be just fine as long as the defense didn’t regress too much. 

As for Nevada, well, the college football world is so focused on that "other team from the WAC" that they can't see the forest for the large tree growing in Boise.

The more games that are played, the greater ability people have at separating the good from the bad, the contenders from the pretenders, and the winners from the losers. The picture gets clearer because you have better criteria to assess a team’s overall value.

That said, why on earth does college football still allow preseason rankings?  Why not wait until teams have played a couple months of football before you assign a number to the left of their name?

It's not fair that South Carolina has to start at the bottom, while Alabama gets a pass to the top— just because they played great football...in 2009.

This is a new year, with new players, new teams, and new schedules. No team should start off with the advantage of being "number" anything because they haven't done anything to prove they deserve that distinction—yet.

If you look back at the preseason poll, released just before the start of the 2010 season, you will find that 10 of the 25 teams that were listed, have either dropped significantly or have exited altogether —two of those teams were once listed in the top 5 (Texas and Florida).

The polls are useless. The only thing they serve to do is create an unfair advantage for teams who may or may not live up to the expectations that the "experts" have place on them.

Of course, some might argue that there is just as much of a chance that more teams will tumble. It’s still early enough and some of these teams still haven’t “played anybody” yet.  It’s possible that this week’s poll isn’t any more right than it was six weeks ago.

All of that is true but, at least we know more about the teams we’re choosing to rank. At least our assessments can be based more on fact than fiction...at least we know who truly has a team worth writing and talking about.

It's time to stop releasing the AP Poll and the useless Coaches Poll that comes before it because, in truth, both are worthless.

What say you? 

Georgia Bulldogs Football: Coach Richt's Post-Game Press Conference (VIDEO)

This is the press conference that followed the Georgia Bulldogs' 17-6 loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday (h/t bulldawgillustrated). Richt discusses the fact that the team tackling wasn't so much the issue as it appeared to be an overall inability to keep Marcus Lattimore from gaining yards after contact.

Furthermore, he states the obvious by saying that it's time to take the training wheels off quarterback, Aaron Murray, see what he can do—you think?




Some further post-game video from the Georgia locker room (h/t bulldawgillustrated):
 

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