Who’s No. 1? I have no idea
Five things we learned over the weekend:
1. Who’s No. 1? I have no idea: Every preseason poll I saw had the same four teams in some kind of order: Florida, Texas, USC, and Oklahoma. Just three weeks into the season two of the four (USC, Oklahoma) have lost and neither Florida nor Texas has been impressive. BYU, which was going to be the designated non-BCS fly in the ointment (as my friend Tim Brando likes to call it) just got trounced by a Florida State team that lost its home opener to Miami (FYI…you have to look at that FSU loss in a totally different light because Miami may be pretty darn good). To tell you the truth, the only three teams who have been impressive the first three weeks are Alabama, Miami, and California. Alabama opened the season with a really good win over Virginia Tech and has gotten better every week, albeit against inferior competition the past two weeks. Miami is not the Miami of old just yet. We’ll find out a lot more about the Hurricanes on Saturday when they go to Virginia Tech. Based on what I saw Saturday, California and Jahvid Best can beat USC. Bottom line, we don’t know who the best teams in the country are. And that’s kind of fun.
2. Joe Cox’s arm is just fine, thank you: Even if you had doubts about the kid after the Oklahoma State game (and I did), you have to admit he showed a helluva lot of moxie in the win at Arkansas Saturday night. The guy knew he was in a shootout and was going to have to make a lot of big throws. He did with five touchdown passes, which tied a Georgia record. And the guy was cool under fire when Georgia got behind 21-10. I don’t know how many games Georgia will win this season, but quarterback will not be the Bulldogs’ problem. Now the defense? That’s another topic for another day. But if you can’t rush the passer and you can’t cover the receivers, it doesn’t take John Heisman to figure out that Georgia is going to have problems with any team that that pitch it and catch it a little.
3. Opposing defenses have zigged. Now Paul Johnson has to zag: Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson has been running some form of this offense for well over 20 years. This is not the first time that opponents have used the defensive game plan to slow down the option employed by Clemson and Miami. If a team has athletic defensive ends, which Clemson and Miami both had, they can take away the pitch man and basically force Josh Nesbitt to make a decision. Johnson will have to make some adjustments, starting with Saturday’s game with North Carolina who, by the way, has a big athletic defensive line. It should be an interesting chess match.
4. You gotta give Lane Kiffin some credit: Tennessee went into The Swamp and had a great game plan. They stuck with running the ball in order to shorten the game and limit Florida’s possessions. Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin used formations that literally forced quarterback Tebow to run. So Tebow ran the ball 24 times. Tennessee played hard and physical and never backed down from the No. 1 team in the nation. If I’m a Tennessee fan I’m optimistic about what this team will do in the long term. But I am also pessimistic in the short term because Jonathan Crompton is simply not the answer at quarterback, especially in big games. The senior had a couple of really bad throws that turned into interceptions at crunch time. If Crompton just makes a play or two, the Gators might have been sweating at the end.
5. You have to admire Chris Todd: The Auburn quarterback became the whipping boy for just about everything that went wrong in that program last season. His offensive coordinator (Tony Franklin) was fired at midseason and Todd was sent straight to the bench. As it turned out, Todd was trying to play last season with an arm that was all but dead. But Todd stayed in the program and had surgery on the arm last December. He couldn’t throw in the spring but was named starting quarterback after just nine days of practice in the summer. It was a tremendous risk by new coach Gene Chizik that paid off Saturday night when Todd threw four touchdown passes in a 41-30 win over West Virginia. With a win over Ball State on Saturday, Auburn will start 4-0. Who would have predicted that?
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158 comments Add your comment
Grantland Rice
September 21st, 2009
8:36 am
Weekend observations
Florida looks soft up front.
USC has some big time offensive problems.
Dawgs need some defense.
Irish & Hogs have no defense.
Al Groh & Ralph Friedgen’s resumes are now on Monster.com
Texas appear to be the best team right now.
RAMBLE ON!!!
September 21st, 2009
8:46 am
Well, I’m glad you have finally come to realize that you have not idea what you’re talking about.
That’s called JOB SECURITY at the AJC.
Mikey
September 21st, 2009
8:49 am
One thing is for sure, fellow Dawg fans-
A.J. Green is the man. I understand there was a cornerback that questioned his ability.How did that work out?
He is a man amongst boys.
RedKneckerson
September 21st, 2009
8:49 am
Would love to have heard you (Tony) come up with some rationale as to why Tenn was stiil hanging in the game during your CBS halftime show. (as fate would have it I had to endure a haltime of weather realted news). You seemed so confident that it was going to be UGLY in the pre game studio show. You and many other pundits really discredit yourselves by throwing stuff out that you really have no basis in which to do so.It leaves you looking silly and not being taken seriously (much like the local radio guys) You should be above that, but most times you aren’t.
this is why we need a playoff
September 21st, 2009
8:49 am
hmm…
so the people who vote don’t know who number 1 should be.
THAT’S WHY WE NEED A FREAKING PLAYOFF.
JB
September 21st, 2009
8:51 am
Varoom, Varoom………………………………………………..That’s the sound of 9 paper shredders going off in the offices of the remaining Def. Cord. on Georgia’s schedule titled ” Defensive plan to beat Georgia, put 9 in the box and make Joe cox beat you”.
Gatorzone
September 21st, 2009
8:53 am
Grantland, you may be rigtht on the Gators, but I will tend to think UT is much better than people think. Whomever set a 4 touchdown line on them is Crazy. That defense is way too tough to lose like that. UF has work to do, but it was a good win
TECHnotINtop25
September 21st, 2009
8:54 am
Ramble on, out of the top 25 as deserved. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Vince Dooley is a great American
September 21st, 2009
8:57 am
Who said Paul Johnson’s offense was unstoppable? As predicted, Tech will be a cellar dwellar again and fire Paul Jonson and hire Reggie Ball as head coach.
Max Sizemore
September 21st, 2009
8:58 am
Sorry, Tony, the defensive end has nothing to do with the pitch man. That would be the corner, safety, or linebacker, depending on the defense. On the triple option, the quarterback ALWAYS has to make a decision. Sometimes, more than one.
Kid Ray
September 21st, 2009
8:58 am
going to have problems with any team that that pitch it and catch it a little.
that CAN pitch it…
1L
September 21st, 2009
8:59 am
nice Column TB. We missed you in Statesboro this weekend, but then again, that whole work thing is important.
Thanks for giving my tigers some love. No one seems to want to give them any respect for winning 3 games that, if the team playeed like they did last year, Auburn could have been 0-3 at this point.
Got 12?
September 21st, 2009
8:59 am
UT is not better than people thought they were. UF is not as good as people thought they were. We all knew they would miss Mullin, Harvin, and Murphy but no one knew how much.
kkkkkkk
September 21st, 2009
9:05 am
Didn’t I see Nesbitt throw the the ball away on 4th down?Dejavu!That playground offense is a laughing stock!
nuetral observer
September 21st, 2009
9:07 am
If the Vols had Half of J. Cox, they could be 2-1 or 3-0, Cromps shows that recruiting experts don’t know S^%* or that his body maybe D1 but his head is high school.
Gary
September 21st, 2009
9:07 am
Another exciting weekend of college football. This season is starting to shape up like the 07 season as in no one knows for sure who the best two teams are.
Florida played it’s first real game of the season and Tennessee (give the Vols a lot of credit) did not lay down. Get rid of the turnovers and this game would have been a nail biter for the Gators. Glad that the Vols came to play because now no team should take them lightly, including my Dawgs.
Glad USC got exposed early so the pundits will quit talking about them. Welcome back to college football Washington Huskies, it’s been awhile. Mark it down right here….Cal will beat USC and end the Trojans reign on the Pac 10. No Rose Bowl this year for Pete Carrol’s boys. Javed Best is the best RB in the country.
Texas is NOT any better than Florida right now. If the officials do their job and call the helmet to helmet hit on the Texas DE in the 4th quarter, Tech would have had good field position and only a TD away from sending that one into OT. Texas needed to blow Tech out of the water and they didn’t do it.
Irish go down to Michigan at the big house, then come back and have to pull out a late squeaker at home against a bad Michigan State team (who lost at home to a team from the MAC last week). You can almost hear the Norte Dame AD asking for Urban Meyer’s cell numbers before that one ended.
Great weekend for the ACC. Miami looks to be on track at making it back to big time college football, Va Tech pulled a miracle out of their hat against Nebraska, and Florida State demolished BYU (thank god, one BCS buster down, one more to go).
Speaking of BCS busters……not only BYU, but Utah went down as well. Only Boise State remains.
Ryan Mallet is a big time QB. He is a pure gun slinger and it’s a crying shame he is wasting his remaining college career in Arkansas for Bobby Petrino. Simply because of his arm, Arkansas is going to beat someone they are not supposed to.
Glad to see Auburn back and how about the SEC…..4 teams in the top 10.
Saint Simon
September 21st, 2009
9:08 am
HELP!! We have fallen and can’t get up……we are falling and falling and falling……..OUT OF THE POLLS
Jeff
September 21st, 2009
9:08 am
(((((((((((((((((LMAO…Jackettes out of poll))))))))))))))
Jim
September 21st, 2009
9:10 am
Boy, you people make Cox sound like the Heisman front-runner…..have you thought about the fact that ARK has the worst defense in the SEC?? My goodness….my 2 year old could have thrown for 300 yards against the Hogs. And, it wouldn’t hurt if UGA starting to play a little defense themselves. These lightweight teams they are beating (barely) are nice, but when you have to play against Monte Kiffin’s defense, the Gators, LSU, and even Kentucky…..things may be a bit different. Besides, UGA gave away 3 turnovers, had 14 penalties, and allowed 41 points….that won’t last in the SEC.
Got 12?
September 21st, 2009
9:12 am
The UGA/Ark and AU/WVU were really exciting and fun to watch. I’m not sure how any of these teams will fare against a team with a defensive. In Arkansas’ case, we’ll see this weekend.
I also enjoyed our game and the FSU/BYU game but was saddened by USC’s loss. I wanted them to make it to the MNC game and get embarrassed.
DawginLex
September 21st, 2009
9:13 am
My top 10 right now based on what I have seen:
Alabama
Texas
Florida
California
Ole Miss
Oklahoma(with Bradford)
Penn St
Miami
USC(with Barkley)
Boise St
UGA is in the next 5.
FSU is in the next 5
UNC is in the next 5
LSU will get exposed shortly
PMC
September 21st, 2009
9:14 am
It’s not CPJ’s offense. It’s his teams lack of fire. Miami beat them because they wanted it more. They blew up Tech blocks they evicerated thier manhood. Tech wasn’t Man enough against Miami. They don’t have much depth on the defensive front 7 which leads to fatigue and on offense… what can you say… their intensity was just lacking… but that’s understandable really.. It’s tough to win on the road against a good team and Miami was well rested and ready.
JB
September 21st, 2009
9:17 am
Rambling wreck in shop for overhaul…….Having trouble finding parts. Can’t find a passing game or a D Anywhere. Called everywhere…………………………………..speaking of D. we should talk. Has Georgia EVER been ranked 108…………By the way, Cox can PASS.That will make the running game THAT much better…… Put 8 or 9 in the box, he will light you up. gotta get a D game somewhere. Looked decent against the run, but boy do we need to get some pressure. Rushing more than 3 might help.
gatorcali247
September 21st, 2009
9:19 am
Florida has got to find a go to Wr..once we do….things will change
MIke
September 21st, 2009
9:19 am
I think Saturdays showing against the Gators shows Kiffin is a young, up coming coach that will make mistakes but can also game plan. Knew what he had and tried to play it best he could. FL knew TN was going to run and still had some success.
Better team won on Saturday but I think Kiffin has the Vols pointed in the right direction.
Gatorzone
September 21st, 2009
9:19 am
DawwginLex, I agree with your rankings. Urban’s Offense will develop and get better as the season progresses, it happens every year. He has to stop relying so much on Tebow and open up the other options avialalble.
Gary
September 21st, 2009
9:19 am
Jim, us Dawg fans are not crowning Joe Cox the Hesiman front runner. We are fans, but we are not crazy. Joe has been what most of us thought he would be; a leader and a game manager. Defenses are going to have to play for the pass and not load up the box to try and stop the run.
Plus this team has heart and will not let what happened last year against Alabama and what happened in 07 at Knoxville happen again. Does that mean we won’t lose another game? Far from it. It just means this team is not going to lay down and give up until the game is past the 60 minute mark.
Two of the three things that are killing this team right now can be corrected (penalties and turnovers) if the coaching will step up and bust some arses in practice and during the game.
The one thing that will hurt Georgia as they go into the meat of the schedule, and no one is talking about, is the fact they only have one true week off. ASU, LSU, UT, and Vandy before they can rest and then they have the Gators and Auburn right after that. This team is tested, but they sure look like they could use a rest too.
Gen Neyland
September 21st, 2009
9:24 am
Crompton = 2 turnovers, Tebow = 2 turnovers. Neither team could go deep. Tennessee showed a decent pass defense from DL to DB, Florida didn’t have to but they got 2 picks…Alas, had Gerald Jones known where the sidelines were. I can’t put that one on Crompton…Kiffin didn’t get his arse handed to him (sorry about that, Mob Frenzy) but he did get beat and I guess Mob Frenzy can find solace there…I could further disect the UT-UF game from an opinionated point of view, but what’s the use..? Florida won and that’s that. Again, congrats to the Gators. Right now as a football fan, I’m wishing UF-Miami were scheduled.
ATLnole
September 21st, 2009
9:31 am
Tony,
Was expecting a little more coverage of the FSU win considering we went on the road and beat the #7 time like a red headed stepchild (no offense to red headed stepchildren out there). UF is good, not great but trying to tell that to a Gator fan is impossible. They are already talking about their 2nd consecutive title after a lackluster win against Tennessee and whichever junior colleges they played to start the year off.
Gator Mike
September 21st, 2009
9:34 am
I was in the Swamp on Saturday for the game. Everyone took UT for granted which was a mistake as was the idiotic spread. The UT traveling fan base was even absent. The Gators have been listening to the press, and they were not impressive. Brandon Spikes being out in the second half did not help, and the lack of dependable receivers is a huge problem.
The UT defense is as good as ever, and the offense is a quarterback away from being much better. Their running game is still good. Hardisty and Brown are studs.
In my humble opinion, UT is going to beat one of the better teams in the next few weeks, and my beloved Gators will loose at least 2 games this year unless they get focused.
The SEC is going to be very interesting this year, and there is no clear super team at this time. UGA is definately a top team, and we will see about Ole Miss this Thursday night. BAMA is very good, and LSU remains an unknown. All of this makes SEC Football fun and interesting.
Go Gators.
Dawgday
September 21st, 2009
9:34 am
1. UF is still the best team (unfortunately)
2. Congrats to Joe Cox. He made a lot of throws that Matt S. overthrew last year. Maybe not having a cannon arm isn’t such a bad thing?
Pass rush is non-existent again. Not sure if Mallett is that great but when you have 30 minutes to pick out a receiver you can look pretty good.
3. I’ve been saying it since day one: Why are Tech fans so optimistic after that beat down they got by LSU at the end of the year?
4. One word for why UT can be successful: Monte. Wish UGA had a DC like that. Heck, just about every team, college or pro probably wishes they had Monte Kiffin!
5. Said this first of the season too. Look out for Auburn, they usually have a great season when they’re expected to suck.
Tech Fan in Braves Country
September 21st, 2009
9:37 am
Even as a Tech fan, I have to give Cox credit. I had predicted he wouldn’t be starting by the 4th game. He looked great against Arkansas. If I were a defensive coordinator, I would stack the middle of the field and make him throw to the sides. But I give him credit, he played fantastic. And A.J. Green is everything we knew he would be … not just height and speed, but great adjustment to the ball. Michael Moore had a great game also.
As for Tennessee, the main credit I give Kiffin, is being smart enough to hire the best assistant coaching staff in the country (and lucky that Monte is his father!). I think his plan is to just tread water this year and build for the future. He just has to win enough to convince recruits to come to Tennessee. Still not sure if he is crazy like a fox, or just plain crazy, but I think he could be a force to contend with in the future.
As for Tech, hats off to Miami. I am more concerned about our defense than the offense. I believe CPJ can correct the problems with the offense, but not sure about the defense. I wouldn’t bet against us in any game though. Go Jackets!
Lord of The Lizards
September 21st, 2009
9:37 am
Look, anyone close to the UF Football program knew there was gonna be an adjustment to life after Percy Harvin. That the Gator D would have to hold up while the offense found its way. I think you will see that happening over the next couple of games, with a very important bye week sandwiched between the Kentucky and LSU tests that awaits them. Some very good things came out of Saturdays game: 1) They won, 2) They won 3) They can now put down the press clippings and just get to work, don’t have to worry about being “invinceable” anymore, it’s just about getting better and go play 4) They got physically tested Saturday (give Tennessee alot of credit) and responded in the second half. 5) The “Kiffin” game and all its crazy distractions and hoopla and unrealistic point spreads are now behind them 6) And now that people will start to talk again about how they can and will be beat, they can reclaim that edge they seem to always thrive on. They have some work to do…
Biff
September 21st, 2009
9:44 am
Please, Lane Kiffen is a giant p***y who ran his mouth in the offseason and then played to avoid humiliation rather than going for the win. As far as the comment about take away the turnovers and its a close game, how bout take away the two Florida TOs and the Swine Flu virus and we win by 50 like everyone thinks we should. Regardless, we won, USC lost if we win every game from here on out by 1 point, we’re still national champs.
Gatorzone
September 21st, 2009
9:48 am
Lord, I agree. I think Gator Mike is selling this team wayyyy too short. Offense seems to start slow every year until Urban opens it up. I watched the UT game again this morning and there were plenty of opportunities for off tackle runs (which UT could not stop) and quick passes, but Urban called a VERY conservative game. BTW, what is up with constantly running 155 lb Demps up the gut on dive plays?
PT
September 21st, 2009
9:51 am
College football is about evloving as the season goes and gaining confidence as the season goes. I believe typically at the beginning of the season there are usually about 15-20 teams capable of this, by mid season that number is down to 10, by the end about 5. Then there is the lucky 2. That is fact people. To annoit a team #1 at the start is nuts cause everyone loses players that creates a chemistry imbalance and everyone adds new players that you dont know what you have til week 3 or so. Its all just talk and fun til then
Gen Neyland
September 21st, 2009
9:54 am
Thank you, Biff. What an informative take you have on the game. Always great to read a knowledgeable post-game perspective.
Gator Growl
September 21st, 2009
10:01 am
Gator Mike, I was at the Swamp too and I think that between the economy AND some fear of excessive hostility, many Vol fans decided to stay home and stay safe. Gladly, other than some serious smack, I didn’t see anything bad go down. ALSO…I gotta admit, even as an avid Gator, I had started to feel like rival fans and was getting sick about hearing how great Tebow is. I think I was even starting to take him a little for granted. But after watching that guy play Saturday, even with two uncharacteristic turnovers, that guy is a BEAST. I was sitting down on around the 20 yard line on that side and that collision with Berry (and two other Vols) was epic and sounded like a friggin thunderclap. Nobody backed down and I can tell you, it was violent!!! Now I’m going to relish every Tebow play because I realise I’ll never see his kind again.
Jeff
September 21st, 2009
10:02 am
See what happens when a bunch of idiot sportswriters and fans say that Urban and Teblows can name their score???? Did Teblow have a fever? Swine Flu? where were the 50 points that UF was going to hang on UT?? What happened to Urban “teaching a lesson”????? hmmmmm…..tell me Gatorboys
Got 12?
September 21st, 2009
10:03 am
The biggest factor in the Gator’s lackluster offensive performance was the absence of Dan Mullen. It will be very interesting to see how Meyer adjusts. I’m sure he’ll work it out.
Thank you, UGA, for the game film on Arkansas. We shouldn’t have much trouble with them this weekend. We will pressure Mallet incessantly.
Congrats to Auburn for upholding the conference’s honor. Malzahn v. M. Kiffin in two weeks will be something to watch.
Joe
September 21st, 2009
10:04 am
what? you Gators now re-evaluating “the greatest college team ever” hmmmmm, statements like “we knew there would be adjustments to life after Percy” …hmmmm Bottom line- UF can and will be beat this year
Alabama Jack
September 21st, 2009
10:06 am
Luv that dawg defense….
Spike
September 21st, 2009
10:08 am
Dawgs win an SEC game on the road, Tech gets their arse handed to them on national TV, no M, St. Simons, Ramble on, Yellow Fuzz, Stinger to hear from. And Tech out of th polls by week three. Ahh, good times. Glad it hurts so much Tech, and it is just getting started. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Gatorzone
September 21st, 2009
10:09 am
I’ll admit, I was expecting a beatdown but I have a new respect for UT. They have a tough D and a hardnosed running attack that made the game a fight. I do not recall the greatest team ever talk, but I am sure that has been mentioned. We will see as the season progresses. I will still be surprised if they lose a game this year.
Lord of The Lizards
September 21st, 2009
10:11 am
Joe…regarding my earlier post about the Gators recaiming their edge…thanks for making my point!
Otto
September 21st, 2009
10:11 am
Is CWM Erk or Joe Kines? no Is he as bad as most think? no
If you give up 3 turnovers, kick 2 kick offs out of bounds, and your offense is boom or boost only staying on the field two minutes at a time,.. expect points to go up on the board.
Arkansas had 16 possesions and the average starting point was their 41 yard line. Considering that and UGA had 3 drives all night that lasted for more than 3 minutes, I am not puttiing it all on CWM. Fabris needs to get better coverage and Bobo needs to put together a ground attack that will eat up some clock.
The defense came up with 3 key stops late and forced a field goal in the final 4 Ark possesions, after being gassed thanks to special teams play and turnovers.
The blame and credit is equal on all 3 parts of the game.
P
September 21st, 2009
10:14 am
It’s still early. But this looks like a season where the better coaches will make the adjustments and coach up their team and the rest will not. Not only will we learn alot about which teams are for real we will learn which coaches are for real. That includes Paul Johnson at Tech.
Vol of reason
September 21st, 2009
10:16 am
Proud of my Vols for not mailing it in, but sure wish we had a QB that could simply manage the game. The slate is bare for some QB stud to come in and take over the offense.
ReptilesRule
September 21st, 2009
10:16 am
Tony, you will probably see a few Vol fans gloating today about their 10 point loss. Please, if you ever catch me celebrating a 10 point loss, please call Jeremy Foley and have my UF UAA membership revoked immediately! Evidently, I had not realized how far the Tennessee program had fallen…
TrueCrimson
September 21st, 2009
10:17 am
As a Bama fan, I don’t particularly want the Tide to be ranked No.1 yet. It only counts at the end of the season. There’s a lot of ball to be played yet.
Darth Gator
September 21st, 2009
10:20 am
Tim Tebow. The Warrior. Half man. Half beast. All heart!
Will
September 21st, 2009
10:21 am
The UGA kick-off team is the worst in the country. Even worse than Valdosta States’. I close my eyes every time we kick it off. I feel sorry for the UGA D because they seem to always have their back against the wall from a lousy kick or a damn fumble. Clipboards you better get it turned around or we are going to get embarrassed very soon. So far this season I give the coaching staff a grade of F-. We are very lucky and fortunate to be 2-0 in the SEC, but if we don’t do something about the kickoff team we may not win another.
Joe
September 21st, 2009
10:29 am
Thanks gatorZone…think we all do at this point. To the others that still cant bring themselves to admit and give some credit (reptilerules is the worst of the bunch) lets see what happens when UF loses this year…it will happen-
Jeff
September 21st, 2009
10:41 am
Tim Teblow- The Football Player- amazingly ordinary
ReptilesRule
September 21st, 2009
10:44 am
Joe, Oh I’m willing to give credit, in fact if you will go back to this very blog last Friday, you will see that I predicted a much closer game than most, a 31-17 UF win. A 14 point spread. I knew all about Monte Kiffin and the fact that his NFL defenses were in the top 5 for a full decade! I knew that UF would have it’s struggles against a very talented UT D that finished top 5 last year. All I am saying Vol fans, be proud of your effort, and you should be, but don’t relish in the result. The last I checked, the object of playing the game is still to WIN, not come close.
m
September 21st, 2009
10:46 am
Tony, it has been obvious for a long time that you don’t have a clue…so why do you try to fake it?
And where is the love for the ACC? Va Tech over Nebraska….FSU over your pick BYU. Miami and FSU both look good. And Ga Tech will be right there in the end as soon as they get their line woes straightened out.
Bottom line is this Tony…you and NO ONE else knows who should be #1…you don’t know now and you won’t know later, either.
We need a 16 team playoff….let the teams be chosen by conference champions and the at large chosen by a consensus of the computer polls (no human opinions should count AT ALL). This would be the greatest sporting event in the history of the world and would eliminate this stupid system we have now.
By the way, if floriduh is by far the best team in the sec, and if they can barely beat a tennersssee team that has the worst QB in modern history…then the sec is weak weak weak….and the ACC will beat them again this year.
Darth Gator
September 21st, 2009
10:48 am
Jeff- Mutts ugly brother-amazingly stupid
murfdawg
September 21st, 2009
10:49 am
Got 12,
I was wondering if anyone else was going to notice the effect of losing Mullen would have on the Gators. The key to beating fl is to make Tebow run the ball and really pound him on every tackle. Look at the 2007 game and how many time the Dawgs hit him and how he wasn’t superman in the 4th qtr.
Did you happen to notice that Mallet was 2-10 in the 4th qtr? The Dawgs hit him a couple of times and got a couple of sacks and he was a different qb than he was in the first qtr. There is your blue print.
How good would FSU be if the receiver had held on to the ball on the last play against UM? Throw the Jax St game out. The Noles had a terrible “game loss hangover” and had to play in five days. I don’t know how good FSU is, but they should be ranked one place below Miami.
This is going to be a really wild ride for my Dawgs this year. This is a very young team on offense. Young at the wrong places on defense. Fortunately they are very talented. Hopefully, they will put together a complete game before the season is over.But until they do, strap it on becauese it is going to be wild and bumpy ride.
m
September 21st, 2009
10:50 am
Ooops, I forgot…
Middle Tennessee beat Maryland.
Thank God & Greyhound we don’t play William & Mary.
The ACC was 6-4 vs. the SEC last year.
Sam
September 21st, 2009
10:58 am
For all the ACC folks: Middle Tennessee State beats Maryland AGAIN! I will say it looks like the top ACC teams are better than they have been.
I am still leery of Cox; he made some great throws in that game. Let’s see if he can do it again, and again and again…
I fear the UT defense.
UGA commits way, way too many penalties.
Instant Classic1
September 21st, 2009
11:03 am
1. LK played not to get blown out
2. UGA has another horrible defense
3. The U is back
4. How about that ‘fired up’ fan base of UT pretty much a no-show Sat
5. UGA has another horrible defense
6. The ol’ ball coach gets a signature win vs Miss Thursday
7. Did I mention how bad the UGA defense is?
Woody Hayes
September 21st, 2009
11:03 am
Did you see the way the Buckeyes handled Toledo. They sure deserved to move up in the poles. All the other teams with similar games, Ole Miss, LSU, Alabama, Penn State, let the other teams score, except Oklahoma. After the way we stomped Toledo, I’m sure we will be back in the top 5 again.
The ACC looked great too! Look at how well Duke handled Kansas, makes you just want to take a swing at somebody.
# 1 It is Ohio State
Joe Cox, reminds me alot of Rex Kern, Imy last great QB
That option offense was good when we were in the 60’s and 70’s. If the other team has speed they can’t run it for long, once you’ve seen it a time or two.
Lame Kiffin, his team came to play, they just weren’t very well coached. They had several chances to win the game, but poor coaching decisons cost them that game. I suggest that they work a little on big plays. They are the opposite of Arkansas. Ark can’t run, Tenn can’t pass.
Auburn does look good, and they have a fine QB. We will see how good he is, and how good they are as they year goes on. My bet is still that they are the surprise team of the SEC West. They had great players there with Tubbs, they still do.
This week, look for a close game with Miami Va Tech, and expect Ga Tech to pound UNC
Instant Classic1
September 21st, 2009
11:09 am
Jeff
Go back to your C-USA message board
MegaT
September 21st, 2009
11:10 am
Tim Tebow is a excellent role model of what is needed in this present generation. As a UT fan, I can’t help but congratulate him and UF for his athleticism, character and leadership. I am so glad he is graduating! I wish him nothing but continued great success.
With that said, I’m very proud of my Vols! They are starting to resemble UT teams of old. A strong running game and tough at the line of scrimmage. In time, that will pay great dividends.
The winner Saturday was UF on the scoreboard and UT everywhere else. Lane Kiffin has us headed in the right direction. Recruits are taking notice and to all of us avid SEC fans, we know that recruiting is the pill that cures the ill. UT will be back sooner than later IMO. I just wish we could have that UCLA game back.
Go Vols!
FLA DAWG
September 21st, 2009
11:11 am
Tony,
I have been surprised with the good but not great play of UF, the loss by USC AND the outstanding play by BAMA. Don’t forget Bama – the SEC Title Game may (as has lately been the case) been a better Game than the NC Game. The Tide looks like they are for real and if I’m a Gator I’m a little worried.
GatorG
September 21st, 2009
11:11 am
For all of you Tennessee fans touting the fact that Tebow was “the entire offense” and will be gone next year, remember that Berry was just about “the entire defense” and will also be gone next year.
Got 12?
September 21st, 2009
11:12 am
Will the whoopings Herschel is sure to receive tarnish his legacy in the eyes of non-UGA fans?
http://mmajunkie.com/news/16258/strikeforce-signs-47-year-old-former-nfl-pro-bowler-herschel-walker.mma
Tenn Vol
September 21st, 2009
11:14 am
Yeah!! We’re going to win the Moral National Championship this year!
1-2 ROCKS!!!!!
Nachos
September 21st, 2009
11:25 am
Alabama had a god dam good team this year RTR
Atlanta Nole
September 21st, 2009
11:25 am
Best game of the weekend was watching the Noles head into Provo and take a hob nailed boot (tip of the cap) to the Cougars. No one gave the Noles a chance to upset the #7 team in the country and it was nice to see them prove the doubters wrong!
Also, with the U having a nice start to their season maybe the teams that were supposed to lead the ACC are on their way back. I would like to see a rematch in the ACCCG.
In closing, the fact that polls come out in the preseason is garbage and purely a marketing ploy. They should rank the teams after the 1st month of the season and use actual performance on the field. Otherwise, it’s time for a playoff.
Larry
September 21st, 2009
11:28 am
I found an article about Kiffin’s strategy from saturday that i thought was great.
http://beta.sportsiplay.com/Football/T1/Congratualtions-You-re-a-Loser.
Fleischman in Chattanooga
September 21st, 2009
11:29 am
Trent Richardson is a stud running the ball (so is Ingram Jr). Alabama’s defense is big, deep & fast. McElroy zinging the ball around like no one business. Look out Gayturds we want revenge ! Start praying Tebow, your gonna need it.
Atlanta Gator
September 21st, 2009
11:35 am
(1) That’s easy. The Florida Gators are the national championship team with the entire 2-deep defense and 63% of their offense back. The just beat one of their 3 biggest rivals by 10 points, and they’re 3-0. The remain number one until someone beats them. USC? Lost to a team that did not win a game last year. Oklahoma? Lost to BYU at home, and lost their star quarterback in the process. Texas has not shined, but is 3-0 and did defeat one of its division rivals by 10 points. Maybe Alabama or Mississippi has a case, but if they win out, they will get their chance to beat the Gators on the field in Atlanta. Like the last 3 years, I predict the Gators will build steam as they go . . . .
(2) As I predicted he would, Joe Cox looks better with each game he plays. Now, what’s up with the Dawg defense? Can the “Junkyard” Dawgs keep an opponent under 30?
(3) Paul Johnson is a football wizard. Now, he needs to conjure up a passing game so opposing defenses can’t stack the box.
(4) Tennessee’s defense played an outstanding game, but give credit where credit is due. You have to give MONTE Kiffin credit . . . I saw nothing from the Tennessee offense that should be a credit to the Vols’ head coach.
(5) Sad, but true: impatient fans, coaches and administrators are far less likely to give a coach or skill player a second chance. For every great player that has played near flawless football during their career, there are 20 times as many who stumbled and needed a second or third chance before they achieved greatness.
Oledawg
September 21st, 2009
11:40 am
Good for the D saving the game in the 4th qtr. Joe had several passes to hit hands that couldn’t hold them, but how can we complain about imperfection? My point is that Joe threw better than the stats (they were great) and T. King still had a good night when dropping 2 in the hands. Samuels was imperfect. AJ wasn’t. Folks, its our team and they are showing their Bulldog hackles instead of running in circles when scored upon. There appears to be a plethora of players of differing talents. Let the Big Dog eat!
Some of you still don’t do the math with the D. By the way, the short-field points scored from fumbles/interceptions is around 54, not 40. Subtract those gimmies and opponents have scored less than 20/game on these boys. The picture has a brighter hue if you honestly take the time to dissect it instead of still trying to blame everything on Martinez’s game plan. Some things are hard to watch, but you must factor in individual players if it keeps happening in selected spots with the same players in the same game. Why don’t some of you fans attempt to find out what went wrong first instead of pulling the trigger on how you would rush the passer more,etc.? Rushing Garcia put us in the backfield , but he stepped up into the pocket and cleaned our clock on short undefended passes across the middle quite often. The reason he was rushed was because he had a history (until our game) of falling apart and throwing interceptions when rushed and hurried. Not Mallett. He could still stand high and find a target even tho Curran hit him early. Different D strokes for different pokes. If some of you knew how ignorant you appear with these suggestions for Martinez to play your scheme when he has obviously viewed more film, knows his players better than anyone and plans as a professional,then you might research a little, but I don’t have much hope for you. You have been led by naysayers to your position and you won’t stop lambasting a good coach no matter how stupid you make yourself appear. Folks, some of these bloggers keep mentioning the D coach because they think you can help them tear up our coaching staff. Those people ain’t your friend, but some of you stubborn asses can’t separate the gold from the lead.
murfdawg
September 21st, 2009
11:42 am
Got 12,
The image I have of Herschel is 33-3, 3 SEC championships, and 1 National Championship over #2 ND. I don’t think that can be tarnished.
Oledawg
September 21st, 2009
11:45 am
Enter your comments here
Xenophon
September 21st, 2009
12:15 pm
Tim Tebow definitely has a lot of choices. Here is a page from his father’s website. I direct your attention to the very last paragraph at the bottom…
http://www.btea.org/whatwebelieve.asp
If you can stomach it, go ahead and read the whole thing.
Joe
September 21st, 2009
12:16 pm
Reptiles Rule- I remember that- I also thought somewhere along the lines of 31-17…31-20. In agreement with other points as well. I think what the game did was to maybe take some wind out of the sails of the stupid sportswriters and oddsmakers in Vegas that come up with the crap of 30 point favororites and “Urban will name his score” crap.
Joe
September 21st, 2009
12:17 pm
(((((((NERD ALERT>>>>>>>NERD ALERT>>>>>>>>))))))))33-17…….33-17……33-17……..hahahahahahhahahahahahahhahaha
Joe
September 21st, 2009
12:18 pm
Here jackette…..jackette……here jackette…jackette….where are you?????? Cat got your tongue???
bamafan
September 21st, 2009
12:28 pm
murfdawg – you are correct. Mallet cooled off in the fourth quarter.
Good thing for UGA……..by the way, what’s with a 6′7″ QB sliding to avoid a tackle and then whining to the ref?
m – does the ACC 6-4 versus the SEC include the beatdown LSU put on Tech and the arse-whupping Bama put on Clemson?
atlgator – check your facts. BYU beat Oklahoma in the new Cowboys stadium (not at home). Also – Paul Johnson needs to dream up some defense. Tech was horrible.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
September 21st, 2009
12:28 pm
If I am a DC in the SEC I watch the way Kiffin schemed UF Saturday. That was a genious at his best. Florida willed itself to victory, but my hats off to the heart the defense of UT played.
political football
September 21st, 2009
12:34 pm
Enter your comments here
I never knew the South and particularly Tennessee was so into affirmitive action instead of meritocracy. Lane Kiffin, who has a limited and dismal head coaching record, is hired at a University that has always spent heaps of money on its football program. He is given the most expensive supporting coaching staff in college football and only needs to coach the offense. In two games against D1 opponents, he openly admits that he cannot throw the ball and must run it in order to not lose by more points.
That is coaching!?!?!?!?!?!
In 1990 Spurrier took over a program that was under probation with an anemic offenses and quarterbacks who were said to be cast-offs from intramural teams. In a few months, he turned the program into the number one offenses in the SEC and won 15 out of his first 16 SEC games.
Please spare us any more talk about “credit” and Lane Kiffin. To paraphrase Tom Cruise “A nutless monkey could do the job he has done so far!!!”
Atlanta Gator
September 21st, 2009
12:35 pm
bamafan—-Arlington, Texas, it was. I stand corrected.
Ramblin Wrecker
September 21st, 2009
12:36 pm
Georgia Tech’s problem is all up front. Those offensive linemen are just not nasty enough. Give me 5 Harvey Dahl’s and this offense would be the second coming of Tom Osbourne/Nebraska. If they don’t find an attitude soon, this season could get tough.
On defense, it’s simple. They need to find a pass rush other than Derrick Morgan. Morgan is an all-american caliber DE, but he runs his tank empty because his other 3 mates can’t get any pressure. So the plays go longer and prolong his energy consumption. So unless he gets to the QB himself and quickly, he will run out of gas by half time. If the other 3 guys could step up and pressure the QB, Morgan will be able to conserve his energy and make big plays at big spots.
THE TRUTH
September 21st, 2009
12:37 pm
Mr. Barnhart not to steal your thunder but this week is a CLASSIC trap game.. Undefeated Arizona St. out of the PAC 10 right before LSU comes to town (CBS picked up the game 3:30 kickoff for LSU)…. THE TRUTH is the Dawgs D will be fine…. no team has driven the ball down the field without help from turnovers or poor kickoffs and the D has stepped up in the 4th quarters and won the game for the Dawgs…. this week scares me…..
BAMA STAN
September 21st, 2009
12:38 pm
12 NATIONAL TITLES – 21 SEC TITLES!!!
Congratulations to UGA on another heart stopping victory.
Will say this – UGA has heart.
If I am a UGA fan – I am very concerned that UGA was in two shootouts against USCeast and ARK. Let alone not being prepared for an OSU team that got beat by Houston.
Parody! UGA will struggle to be ahead of the pack – but at least they make it extremely exciting.
Will be interesting to see how BAMA does against ARK. pass happy offense – Mallett has an arm and osme of his throws were incredible.
Give COX credit – kid has game.
ROLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
collegeballfan
September 21st, 2009
12:41 pm
I will stick with Fla as #1 until someone beats them.
Don
September 21st, 2009
12:42 pm
Xenophon:
Read it all and I could stomach it. Didn’t see anything wrong with it at all. I liked it in fact.
Habersham Dawg
September 21st, 2009
12:46 pm
Last time I checked, ACC vs SEC last year was a 6-6 record. Bowl games count. This year (even thought it’s really, really early) ACC vs SEC is 0-2. What I really like is how a GT fan will throw out the 6-4 conference record and conveniently forget the bowl games, where the better teams from both conferences play.
Tide4u2c
September 21st, 2009
12:46 pm
As I was watching the Gators against Tennessee I noticed that Florida has something missing.They are still a capable team but do not look invincible like they did.They have taken a step back some and unless they improve they will not go undefeated.
Going into the season we all wondered about Alabama’s offensive line and Greg McElroy starting with very little game experiance.Well we now know Alabama’s offense looks even better than last years offense.Greg McElroy is spreading the ball around not locking onto one reciever which is going to cause problems for opposing defenses trying to double team Julio Jones.Alabama’s defense looks great.Alabama will not be beat easily pack your lunch and bring your best because that is what it will take to stop the Crimson Tide.
ckgator
September 21st, 2009
1:05 pm
Lane this, Monte that… blah blah blah.
If Tebow does not fumble on the 4, the Gators go up 30-6. And the spin wouldn’t be about the Gators being vulnerable, or Monte’s brilliant game plan. It would be about how good Florida is in spite of having several playmakers playing with the flu, and three deep-threat receivers out with injuries. (Thompson / Moore / Dubose)
Gators called a conservative game to kill the clock and get out of a game against an inferior opponent. And Kiffin did not play to win – he played to “spin”.
Beat your chests, Vols – but it may be yet another year until you are “bowl eligible.”
Go Gators!
1-0 in the SEC East
Brian
September 21st, 2009
1:10 pm
what??????Teblow fumble??????? Mr. College Football makes a mistake????? oh no- say it ain’t so……..Now the Gators called a conservative game to get out against an inferior opponent. WHAT A CROC!!!!!!!! man up and at least admit UT gave you fits. This from the lowlifes that said “Urban would name his score to teach us all a lession about messing with UF. Gezzz…what a bunch of losers
Cory
September 21st, 2009
1:13 pm
Pretty lame Gatorboys saying that “UF called a conservative game to just get out against an inferior opponent” BS to me boys
CharlotteGator
September 21st, 2009
1:18 pm
Watched the UGA – Arky game Saturday night, and came away very impressed with Mallet, Charles, and Cox. Shed the ‘manager’ tag from Cox. He can get it done well enough if given the opportunity. I know the Arky defense is terrible, but you still have to make the plays and he did all night long. Congrats to the kid and to Dawg fans who have newfound confidence in the season. Mallet looked good for 3 quarters and will only get better as the season goes along. Very dangerous team. Orson Charles is a recruit that I wish UF hadn’t lost out on. Forget that he smashed a BCS crystal, he’s a really good player at a position UF could really utilize and is paper thin at right now.
As far as the Gators, most reasonable UF fans weren’t shocked at what took place. I know I felt nervous all of last week and thought it would go the way it did (I’m pretty sure my comments from last week back that up). There was no real downfield threat on offense and the playcalling got predictable. I understand we miss Mullen, but those two things happened in tandem a lot with him as well so it’s not new to us that have watched the Gators. It didn’t help that the #1 WR was out and that Hernandez and Demps had the swine flu, but you have to give all the credit to Tennessee. I said last week that they’re set up to play the style that UF struggles to overcome (force the Gators to march down the field in 4-6 yd chunks because eventually we get frustrated and force/press) and executed it extremely well. M. Kiffin has been preparing for the UF offense and it showed. Kudos to him and a talented defense.
Two biggest things I took away as a Gator fan were:
1) I’m glad we fought through and won a game like this. The offense famously struggled at the beginning of last year as well, and I’m glad we could take our lumps and still get the W. It seemed to me and those that I was watching with that UT was trying to keep it close as opposed to trying to win (until that last drive in the 4th quarter), but I believe it still got UF’s attention. The vols are a solid team and showed it.
2) I hope the defense will finally wake up. I was nervous that they’d be complacent w/ “the whole 2-deep back” and the 1st couple of games showed signs of that. Hopefully they now realize that their talent isn’t what made them good last year but their effort did. Now with a bad showing (I don’t care what the stats/score say, I grade them w/ my eyeballs), Spikes out, and the specter of competition on the horizon, I really hope they’ll focus, get down to business, and really try and put an end to the bend but don’t break mentality. Good defenses do better than that.
Great weekend of college football and I think the season only gets more interesting from here on out. Oh yeah, go Huskies….
Jeff
September 21st, 2009
1:24 pm
Charlotte Gator- you and Atlanta Gator are two of the most reasonable fans I know. Great posting
reebok
September 21st, 2009
1:28 pm
UGA looks a little better than I thought they would, and Tech looks a little worse. One or 2 gamedays could change perception 180 degrees AGAIN. Georgia is loaded with talent, so if they start believing in themselves, look out. Tech looked tired – mentally, physically, and every other way – in that game against the ‘Canes. Johnson will fix the offense, but the defense really worries me because we seem to be neither big enough nor deep enough on that side of the ball.
Good luck to both programs Saturday, avoid the injuries…and Dogs, we will see you on the Flats in November!
Kendawg
September 21st, 2009
1:30 pm
The Gators are really missing Harvin, perhaps also Mullin. They appeared to have very little at wideout, and Tennessee’s defense was very good. If Florida wins the NC this year, I will be surprised. Tennessee should wind up the year with a pretty good record. The Tennessee game will be a very difficult one for UGA, I predict. Let’s just hope that Crompton doesn’t have a hot game, which could happen with UGA’s “defense”.
reebok
September 21st, 2009
1:30 pm
BTW, I watched most of the Florida-Tennessee game and it looked to me like the Vols were just trying to grind the clock, limit possessions, and limit the number of points they lost by…at no point did it ever look to me like Tennessee could actually win the game. IMHO, of course…as always.
Just say "No" to playoffs
September 21st, 2009
1:35 pm
Dear “this is why we need a playoff “,
At this point in the season the polls are basically meaningless. With your beloved playoff, the USC, Utah and BYU losses are basically meaningless. Which do you prefer? We are watching the playoff RIGHT now. Every game matters. Don’t ruin the college football season the way the college basketball season has been ruined.
The college football season MATTERS!
USCs loss to Washington MATTERS.
Compare that with the NFL or basketball. Think about it.