SEC Picks: Week 9

Florida (4-2, 2-3 SEC) vs. Georgia (4-4, 3-3)

Our game of the week, and amazingly, one that still matters in the SEC race. Despite Georgia losing four straight earlier this year, and Florida currently riding a three-game losing streak of its own, the winner positions itself well in the SEC East, where South Carolina leads but has two difficult conference games ahead.

The Cocks should handle Tennessee at home this Saturday without much trouble, but the next two games are daunting. If the Gamecocks fail to clinch the division at home against 19th-ranked Arkansas the following week, we could be looking at must-win game for Steve Spurrier against his alma-mater on Nov. 13. Oh, and the game is in The Swamp. As this guy sees it, the East is far from wrapped up.

But which team is better positioned to jump back into the discussion? Georgia enters as the hotter team, having won three straight and scoring at least 40 in each of those contests. Florida’s offense bottomed out two weeks ago in a 10-7 home loss to Mississippi State, but they’ve since had a bye week to figure things out and will add RB/WR Chris Rainey back into the mix.

My gut tells me to follow the recent history of this rivalry and pick the Gators, who have won 10 of the last 12 meetings, but the Murray/Green cocktail will prove a bit stronger than Addazio on the rocks. Dawgs 37, Gators 34

#1 Auburn (8-0, 5-0) at Mississippi (3-4, 1-3)

Here’s the part where I heap praise on Cameron Newton and state how impressive his athletic achievements have been this season. Here, I’ll add some hyperbole illustrating both his jaw-dropping athleticism and physical prowess, and point out that the two attributes combine to make him the most unstoppable player in college football history.

Then, like the bitter LSU fan I am, kindly remind the rest of college football that the player you’re so willfully praising is a criminal. When he wins the Hesiman in two months, they should just give him the trophy Reggie gave back.

Now that my purple and gold grapes have reached the requisite level of sourness, here’s the part where I give you a prediction about Cam Newton’s next game. He continues to run roughshod through SEC defenses, doing his best Vince Young impression.

In the battle of QBs who like stolen electronics, Jeremiah Masoli will put up decent numbers himself, because apart from the undeniably monstrous Nick Fairley, the Auburn defense is not very good. Mr. Heistman 41, Rebels 31

Vanderbilt (2-5, 1-3) at #19 Arkansas (5-2, 2-2)

Yeesh, Vandy is awful. Want to know how awful? The Commies offense is ranked last in conference total offense, first downs gained, and points per game. The defense? Ninth in scoring, and 12th in rushing yards and total yards. Arkansas is banged up on offense, but quarterback Ryan Mallett (bruised throwing shoulder) will make the start. Greg Childs and Joe Adams are each nursing ankle injuries and it’s unclear how much either will play, if at all. But given how bad Vanderbilt is, the Razorbacks should roll with or without their top guns. ‘Backs 45, Commies 13

Tennessee (2-5, 0-4) at #20 south Carolina (5-2, 3-2)

Expect South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore to have a huge game in this one, and for Tennessee’s winless SEC campaign to continue for another week. Could the Volunteers do the unthinkable, and pull a Detroit Lions on the SEC? They couldn’t possibly go winless, could they?

The final three games for the Nazi Vols: Ole Miss, at Vandy, Kentucky. Derek Dooley should be able to avoid the oh-fer, but he’ll be lucky to finish better than 2-6 in his first year.  ‘Cocks 28, Vols 10

Kentucky (4-4, 1-4) at #21 Mississippi State (6-2, 2-2)

* A correction before I preview this game, last week I erroneously stated that Mississippi State for having to schedule UAB on the road. That game was played in Starkville.

This is probably one of the better games in the conference this weekend, which should tell you just how bizarre this season has been. Kentucky has lost four of its last five, but they’ve been competitive in all but one of them — a Sept. 25 blowout at the hands of Florida.

This match-up is all about Kentucky’s O, which is one of the league’s best, going up against a stingy Bulldog defense which is only surrendering 17 points per game, good for 3rd in the league. Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline has been lighting it up lately, throwing for 349 and 353 yards in his last two games with eight touchdown passes.

Dan Mullen has brought his State bunch a long way in his second year, but they aren’t yet at the level where they win every game they’re supposed to. I like Kentucky in a mild upset. ‘Cats 24, Bulldogs 21

Last Week: 5-1 Season: 29-10

SEC Picks, Week 7

 

Auburn's supersized quarterback is leading the SEC in rushing and QB efficiency. (Andy Lyons/Getty)

 

Another week, another huge match-up in the wild SEC West. The Game of the Week pits #12 Arkansas (4-1, 1-1 SEC) against #7 Auburn (6-0, 3-0). This is the fifth straight week that the G.O.W. has featured at least one team from the West division. With Tennessee and Georgia down, and Arkansas, Auburn and LSU back on their feet, it’s fair to say that the balance of power in the Southeastern Conference has shifted to the schools in the Central Time Zone.

Finneran re-signs with Falcons

Veteran WR and fan-favorite Brian Finneran has signed a contract extension with the Falcons, according to the team’s website.  While Finny has had little impact in the passing game, with only 32 catches over the last two seasons, he provides a great locker-room presence and is a valued member of the special teams unit.  He also moves the chains, as 21 of those 32 grabs have gone for first-downs. Financial terms of the deal were undisclosed. While this isn’t the type of deal that off-seasons are centered around, it’s nice to know that the “White Randy Moss” will remain in Red-n-Black.

Should Falcons go after Julius Peppers?

It’s well documented that the Falcons have a need at defensive end opposite of John Abraham. It’s also no secret that Julius Peppers wants out of Carolina. With Peppers heading for unrestricted free-agency, many are pointing to Atlanta as a possible destination for the 5-time pro-bowler.

AJC’s Jeff Schultz is convinced. But ESPN’s Pat Yaskinkas spoke with Thomas Dimitroff last week, and while he didn’t rule anything out, Dimitroff didn’t sound very eager to spend much money during free agency:

“First and foremost, we’re going to be very fiscally responsible. That doesn’t mean we won’t be active. If we think a player in free agency can really ratchet us to another level, we’ll contemplate it. If we see a player that is a fit like Tony Gonzalez was, then I’ll go to (owner) Arthur Blank and tell him that we want to pursue this guy.”

There’s no question Peppers would improve the Atlanta defense, but at what cost? He’s likely going to command a contract similar to his last one, which would once again make him the highest paid defensive end in football. What Dimitroff must decide, is whether paying upwards of $16 million for a 30-year old sack specialist would be beneficial long term, or if the team would be better served spending that money elsewhere, and giving either Lawrence Sidbury (1 sack year) or Kroy Biermann (5 sacks, 1 forced fumble in 2 starts) a legitimate chance to start opposite of Abraham. There’s also the possibility that the team addresses its pass-rushing need through the draft, but more than any other defensive position, it’s very hard for a rookie end to be a difference-maker right away.

I have no doubt that adding Peppers would give this defense a much-needed boost, but is it worth the sticker price?

Gators Defensive Coordinator Edwards heading back to NFL after 1-month stint

Well that was fast, even by SEC standards. Florida has lost its Defensive Coordinator, just a month after hiring him to replace Charlie Strong.

George Edwards, who up until last month was coaching linebackers for the Miami Dolphins, has accepted the Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator position. Curious that this news breaks the day after signing day. Did the Gators purposely delay this announcement to keep their stellar recruiting class together? I wouldn’t put it past Urban Meyer.

Recruiting wrap-up

The continued dominance of the Southeastern Conference over the college football landscape extended to another national signing day, with three schools finishing in Rivals’ top five, and five total in the top ten.  It’s a tough world in the SEC, where the cannibalistic nature of schools stealing each other’s recruits can cause quite the emotional outpouring from fan bases, and even players.

However, while ESPN.com’s recruiting service cannot stop salivating over Urban Meyer’s “record-setting” class, which includes 17 of the site’s Top 150 players, Rivals lists the Gators class at a close second, behind USC.  Lane Kiffen closed impressively on NSD, but according to ESPN, it was only enough to finish at #7 in it’s top 25.

How can Florida’s haul be considered head and shoulders above everyone by ESPN, enough to call the difference “staggering”, while at the same time  listed behind that of USC’s on Rivals? And how can Rivals rank the Trojans class at the top ,while ESPN doesn’t even have it in the top five? It’s a curious discrepancy that highlights the inherent flaw in recruiting rankings.  These are completely subjective assessments of how 17 and 18-year old kids will perform at the next level, assessments that even the highly-paid coaches often get wrong.

So Dawg fans, (and Vols fans, and Tigers fans, and all other fans who are upset about falling out of the top five), remember that these recruiting services rarely know what they are talking about, and only time will tell whether you missed out on the next Hershel or the next headache. For every 5-star “blue-chip” recruit who flames out, there’s an unheralded 2 or 3-star waiting in the wings, ready to prove the “experts” wrong.

Two notable unintentional comedy moments from ESNPU’s recruiting special:

• Robert Smith and Tom Luginbill getting sociological on us when trying to explain the SEC’s recent dominance in recruiting. Smith, an Ohio State product, pointed to the failing economies of the rust-belt as a sign that football talent was “reverse-migrating” to the south. I don’t know about you, but I go to ESPNU for all my socioeconomic discourse.
• An unbelievably awkward interview with Florida State signee Bjoern Werner, a defensive-line prospect from Connecticut by way of Germany.  The highlight is at the 3:45 mark of this video, where he attempts to do the Tomahawk Chop, and ends up just creeping everyone out:  

Yezzzzirrrr!

Signing Day full of surprises

It’s the first Wednesday in February, which only means one thing if you’re a degenerate college football fan.  It’s time for the nation’s high school seniors to sign their letters of intent and choose where they’ll be playing college ball next autumn.

For the LSU Tigers, it was a day that was not supposed to bring many surprises, with much of the class already filled.  But if we’ve learned one thing about signing day, it’s that the whims of 18-year olds can change at any moment.

LSU has landed two big time signees who were not listed as commits as of yesterday:

Kadron Boone, WR, Trinity Catholic (Ocala, FL) Boone, a 6’1 wide-receiver with good bulk at just under 200 lbs, was originally committed to Texas Tech but reopened his commitment late after coach Mike Leach was dismissed. He signed his letter of intent to play with the Tigers this morning. With his body type and route running ability he could provide a replacement for Brandon LaFell down the road.

JC Copeland, DE, Troup County HS (LaGrange, GA) Copeland was committed to Tennessee as recently as yesterday.  But this morning, in a bit of a surprise, he signed his letter of intent to play with the Tigers.  The 6’2 240 lb. appears un-blockable at times in his film.  He’ll give Les Miles another disruptive force on the defensive line.

There are still dozens of recruits yet to sign their LOI, so stick around for updates throughout the day. Who knows what other surprises signing day has in store….

Senior Bowl Preview Part 2

Before I get into the South roster, and which players Falcons fans in particular should be watching Saturday, I’d like to thank NFL Network for its coverage of the week’s practices.  For pathetic losers like myself, it’s great mid-afternoon viewing.  Mark Mayock, in particular, keeps me in stitches with his creative vocabulary. Where else could we hear Dexter McCluster compared to Percy Harvin in terms of “explosion and propulsion”?  (The NFL, where propellers happen!)

Propellers aside, let’s take a look at some players to watch from the South:

South Team

• Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina- Norwood is more of an undersized defensive end than a true outside linebacker, but he rushes the passer like few others in this draft.  Whether or not he can play in the 4-3 remains to be seen, but the Falcons could take a shot at Norwood if he’s there in the mid-rounds.  Paired with Abraham on passing downs, he could greatly assist in getting pressure on the quarterback, which was a glaring weakness of the team this year.  Projected Round: 3rd
• Cameron Sheffield and Brandon Lang, LB/DE, Troy- I mention these two together because as a tandem they were highly productive in college, combining for 14.5 sacks. Troy has a proud tradition of pass rushers which includes DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyiora.  Sheffield is practicing as a linebacker in Mobile, and its unclear if Lang has the size to be a 4-3 defensive end either, but they’ve both had solid weeks of practice and could be solid pass-rush options in the draft’s second day. Projected Round: 3rd-5th
• Jimmy Graham, TE, Miami- There are several solid tight end prospects on the South roster, including Alabama’s Colin Peek and USC’s Anthony McCoy. But Graham is intriguing for two reasons: his 6’6 255 frame, and the fact that like Tony Gonzalez, he’s a converted hoops player. Graham averaged 18 minutes a game for the Hurricanes basketball team before trying football as a senior.   This is certainly a project but the athleticism and untapped potential is tantalizing.  In a loaded tight end class, he could be there for rounds 4 or 5.  Projected Round: Late 3rd/4th

Senior Bowl Preview Part 1

With the Super Bowl two weeks away, and just one Falcon in the Pro Bowl that nobody wants to play in (or watch for that matter), there’s only one football game that matters this weekend.  The top seniors in college football are in Mobile, AL this week, working with NFL coaching staffs and auditioning for scouts, leading up to the annual Senior Bowl game this Saturday.

While much has been made about Tim Tebow’s disappointing performance so far, and Terrence Cody looking more like Proposition Joe from “The Wire” than a top prospect, there are plenty of other players to check out if you’re a Falcons fan. Here are some players to keep an eye on this Saturday:

North Team

• Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri Listed at 6’0, 241, Weatherspoon is a two-time finalist for the Butkus Award, which goes to college football’s top linebacker.  He’d be a great addition to the LB corps, infusing some youth while still maintaining the size and toughness of veteran starter Mike Peterson. Projected Round: Late 1st/Early 2nd
• Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State Wilson has had such a great week of practice in Mobile, he is likely playing himself into the first round. Brent Grimes and Chris Houston continued to get picked on by bigger WRs last season, and second-year Chevis Jackson and rookie Chris Owens failed to emerge, making cornerback a position of need for the third-straight Falcons draft.  At 5’10, 190, with prototypical speed, Wilson has supplanted FSU’s Patrick Robinson as the number one senior cornerback, and Dimitroff would have to take a long look at him if Weatherspoon and the other top linebackers are off the board. Projected Round: Late 1st/Early 2nd.
• Daryl Washington, OLB, TCU Washington was overshadowed by teammate Jerry Owens, was equally important to TCU’s defense, leading the Horned Frogs in tackles last season as an inside linebacker in the 4-2-5. A bit on the lighter side at 6’2, 226, he uses his speed and quickness to get into the hole.  Washington could easily step in to the weak side LB spot currently occupied by Coy Wire or the become a successor to Peterson on the strong side. If Dimitroff opts to pass on a linebacker in round 1, Washington could be a steal in the third round. Projected Round: 3rd
• Ed Dickson, TE, Oregon A big target at 6’4, 244, Dickson was very productive in the Pac-10 and graduates as Oregon’s all time leading receiver among tight ends.  While it’s not a need pick, Dickson would provide great value if selected in round 3.  It’d be hard to turn down a productive young tight end who could someday take over for Tony Gonzalez. Projected Round: 3rd