November 14 in the SEC

Tennessee @ Ole Miss on CBS at 12:00. Rebels win.

Kentucky @ Vanderbilt on the SEC Network and ESPN360.com at 12:21. Kats crush Commodores.

Eye Gougin' Gators @ South Carolina on CBS at 3:30. Spurrier leads his team to victory. Just kidding. UF makes evil Steve wish he'd never left Gainesville.

Louisiana Tech @ LSU on ESPNU at 7 PM. Prediction not necessary.

Bama @ Miss State on ESPN and ESPN360.com at 7 PM. Tide remains unbeaten.

Auburn @ UGA on ESPN 2 and ESPN360.com at 7 PM. Dawgs win gives UGA 4 in a row vs Tigers for the first time since the 1940's. UGA 38, Auburn 31.

Troy @ Arkansas on ESPN360.com at 7:30. Pick ain't necessary.

This year, quite a few SEC teams have failed to live up to expectations. Who are you most disappointed in, Ole Miss, Arkansas, UGA, or Vandy? Click on the title of this post, to see which team has stunned me the most, with their lack of success.

P.S. I gotta go off topic for a moment. How 'bout my Hawks? With 3:38 left, Atlanta leads Boston 89-80. Let's go Hawks!!

Sports and the Law

Three Tennessee football players were arrested last night on charges of attempted armed robbery. The knuckleheads allegedly used a pellet gun to commit this crime. I just don't get it. Why would anyone, especially someone with so much to lose, make such a poor decision? Two of the players involved have immense talent and could have had a future in the NFL. But, these young men just threw this opportunity away. Once again, I just don't get it.

A couple weeks ago, New Mexico soccer chic, Elizabeth Lambert, shamelessly beat up numerous BYU players. What could provoke such an attack? Frustration? It's not BYU's fault her team stinks. Her actions were unprovoked and inexcusable. As punishment for this crime, Lambert should be banned from playing college soccer. The video (click on title to view) is quite disturbing. Maybe the judicial system should also get involved.

Let's get back to football. No SEC fan will ever forget the eye gouge by Brandon Spikes. On the football field, his antics went unflagged by officials. But Florida's coach, Urban Meyer, thought Spikes should be punished. So, he suspended #51 for the game against Vanderbilt. What a joke! If Spikes would have tried to blind somebody on the streets, he would have faced a charge of attempted aggravated battery, and a punishment of 10 years behind bars.

What is the jurisdiction for crimes committed in a sports arena? Do the laws of the land not apply to athletes? Don't get me wrong. I don't ever want to see referees wearing law enforcement badges and handcuffs. But, I do believe that intentional acts of malice should be punished severely, even when they occur in an athletic venue.

You can click on the title of this post, to view the sinister actions of Elizabeth Lambert, in the BYU vs New Mexico women's soccer game.

Veteran's Day

Happy Veteran's Day to all of the brave men and women who have served our country. This is a time to honor the real heroes in our lives. Personally, I can think of no greater man, than my Uncle Bud. He was defending our freedom, before I was even born. Men like him are the reason we are blessed to live in such a great nation. Thank you Uncle Bud. I love you very much and am proud to be your nephew. Happy Veteran's Day!

Rob.

P.S. I found a link you might like. Click on the title of this post.

November 7 in the SEC

South Carolina @ Arkansas on the SEC Network and ESPN360.com at 12:21. Gamecocks win.

Eastern Kentucky @ Kentucky on ESPN360.com at 1:00.

Tennessee Tech @ UGA on ESPN360.com and Comcast PPV at 1:00.

Furman @ Auburn on ESPN360.com at 1:30. I'm resisting the urge to say Furman will pull off a major upset. Auburn wins.

LSU @ Bama on CBS at 3:30. Geaux Tigers!! LSU clinches the West.

Memphis @ Tennessee on ESPNU at 7PM. Upset? Nah. Vols win.

Vandy @ "Eye Gouge U" on ESPN2 and ESPN360.com. Eye gougin' gators win, without LB #51.

Northern Arizona @ Ole Miss on ESPN360.com at 7:30. Rebels win.

Don't let the weatherman fool ya. November is the coldest month for Georgia fans. It usually begins after a painful loss in Jacksonville. But, Florida's dominance over UGA won't last forever. Click on the title of this post.

Halloween in the SEC

Last week, UGA had a bye. I did too. To be honest, I didn't feel like writing, so I didn't write. Well, this Saturday is Halloween, and things are getting scary in the SEC. Mark Richt takes his 4-3 Bulldogs down to Jacksonville, where Georgia will face its most sinister foe, the Florida Gators.

Georgia has had two weeks to prepare for this game, but the Gators have a Heisman trophy winner at QB and a defense that actually laces up their boots. As painful as it is to say, Florida will destroy my Dawgs. The game is scheduled for a 3:30 kickoff on CBS.

A couple hours earlier, you might be able to catch Ole Miss @ Auburn. The game starts at 12:21 on the SEC Network and ESPN360.com. This could be a good one. I'm picking the traveling Rebs to pick up the victory at Jordan-Hare. Why? They've got Dexter McCluster.

Mississippi State goes to Lexington to take on the Kentucky Wildcats at 7 PM on ESPN360.com. Dan Mullen's Dogs showed a lot of potential, as they stayed within striking distance of the champs last week. But, Florida won the game 29-19. The potentially good Dogs are currently 3-5. These Bulldogs have garnered victories over 2-5 SWAC school Jackson State , 2-6 Vandy, and Middle Tennessee State, who is 3-4 on the year. Looking at their resume' is very therapeutic for this Dawgs fan. It may be a tough year for my Dawgs, but at least they're not these dogs.
Kentucky wins 27-14.

Also at 7 PM, Eastern Michigan travels to Arkansas. The game will be broadcasted on ESPNU. No need for a pick. We all know who's gonna win this one.

Back to games that count... Tennessee hosts Sloth Carolina at 7:45 PM on ESPN and ESPN360.com. Spurrier needs another big win, just as much as Lane Kiffin needs humility. Gamecocks win.

ACC power, Georgia Tech travels to Nashville to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores at 7:30 on ESPN360.com. Tech wrecks 'em... bad. This one won't be close.

Almost forgot the LSU Tigers. The Golden Band from Tigerland will be celebrating all night long. LSU crushes Tulane at 8 PM on ESPN360.com.

In closing, let's talk about THE game this weekend. What's your favorite Georgia-Florida moment?
You can click on the title of this post to view my nomination.

Strange Days

Folks, something strange is going on inside the state of Georgia. The Dawgs are unranked, with an un-Richt-like record of 4-3. Meanwhile, the Georgia Tech Yella Jackets are 6-1 after defeating #4 Virginia Tech on the flats. This ain't 'sposed to happen. Sometimes, your little brother grows up and kicks your butt. It ain't right, but I guess it can occur.

As strange as it sounds, Paul Johnson has already elevated his program past UGA. While the Jackets continue to improve, Georgia is fighting to stay above 500. The poor play of Willie Martinez's defense, the lack of a rushing attack, and many untimely special teams snafus are plummeting Georgia's program into the ground. Yes, the Dawgs beat Vanderbilt. They were supposed to do that. Georgia rushed for 172 yards. On the surface, that's encouraging. But, there's no evidence to believe Georgia's running game is improved. Vanderbilt is porous against the run and they simply did what they do. The Commodores allow 170 yards rushing per game, which ranks them 11th in the SEC in stopping the run. Georgia didn't have a breakthrough performance in this aspect of the game. Sure, there were a couple of long runs. But, for the most part, Vanderbilt contained Georgia's lack luster rushing attack. The final numbers were skewered by a 39 yard run by WaShaun Ealey and some big plays by Dontavious Jackson, when the game was out of reach.

Meanwhile, Paul Johnson's Jackets continue to pummel opponents into the ground. Georgia Tech has become a serious contender in the ACC. They are in second place in the Coastal Division standings with a 4-1 record in conference play. GT only trails the lowly Virginia Cavaliers. Al Groh's squad is 2-0 in ACC action, but displays its true identity with a 3-3 overall record.

In summary, these are some very strange days in the state of Georgia. While UGA hopes to lift its season out of the toilet, Georgia Tech is one step closer to playing for the ACC championship. How has this happened so fast? Just last year, Mark Richt's Dawgs were the preseason #1 team in America. But, halfway through the next year, there's only one relevant team in Georgia. And, it's the one with the 55,000 seat stadium. Once again, these are some strange days, ya'll. Maybe the ghost of Bobby Dodd is up to no good.

Click on the title of this post.

James' Picks

James' Picks:
Bama over South Carolina,

Florida over Petrino's Pigs,

Auburn over Kentucky

Vanderbilt over GEORGIA

James, thanks for the picks. Got something for ya. Click on the title of this post.

P.S. Someone should tell this dude, "It's just football."

Where in the World is Ryan Perriloux?

The once troubled and perilous LSU Tiger has found a home at Jacksonville State University. After sitting out the first game of the season, Perriloux has led the Gamecocks to 4 wins in their last 5 games. To be honest, JSU could easily be the Appalachian State of 2009. It was very late in Tallahassee, as the Gamecocks clinged to a 9-7 lead over FSU on September 12. But, Bowden's squad put up 12 points in the final minutes of that contest, to squeak out a hard fought 19-9 victory.

Since then, Ryan Perriloux has led JSU to a rampage through FCS opponents. He has thrown for 1,284 yards including 15 TDs with just 1 int on the year. The Former LSU QB has shown great precision, by completing 61.2% of his passes. During the same span, Jacksonville State has outscored opponents 198-37 in FCS football. The Gamecocks have a bye this Saturday. Then, they face the Eastern Illinois Panthers for Homecoming on October 24.

To see highlights of Perriloux at JSU, click on the title of this post. About halfway through the video, there's a great shot of him, as he de-helmitizes a Florida State Seminole. The dude didn't go down, but it ain't very often you see a QB blast somebody like that.

Matt's Picks

Matt's picks:
Alabama @ South Carolina
Even though I'm a Florida fan, I don't think anyone is playing better ball than Alabama. With the speed and talent they have especially with the running game. I pick Alabama to run over the cocks.

Arkansas @ UF
I'll be at the game and for homecoming, UF will be putting on a show. UF by 30, and continue being stingy with giving up touchdowns.

Kentucky @ Auburn
Auburn has been exposed, but @ home, and coming off a poor performance last week, I think they pull out a W this week.

Georgia @ Vandy
Hoping that being vandy's homecoming will pump UGA up to actually show up and execute. I'm picking Georgia.

UAB @ Ole Miss
Ole miss is obviously not the team that was hyped up in the pre-season, but I think they will have no problem with UAB.

Matt, thanks for your help. This one's for you. Click on the title of this post.

Reader's Choice

This week, I'm giving you, the readers the honor of predicting the outcome of Saturday's games in the SEC. Let's be honest. My picks have been stinkin' up the place, just a bit. Maybe, I'll spray them with Febreeze before I post 'em next week. Anyway, a breathe of fresh air would be quite refreshing. Here's the list. Send me an email, and I'll post your thoughts.

Bama @ South Carolina.

Petrino's Pigs @ Florida.

Kentucky @ Auburn.

Georgia is the Homecoming opponent for Vanderbilt. 'Nuff said.

UAB @ Ole Miss.

Mississippi State @ Middle Tennessee.

*Florida and UT have a bye.

Thanks for your time,
Rob.