Bowlin' in the SEC

This Sunday, Kentucky becomes the first of 10 SEC teams to go bowling. The 7-5 Wildcats will take on the 8-5 Clemson Tigers. Kickoff for the Music City Bowl is set for 8:30 ET on ESPN and ESPN360.com. Kats can't contain C.J. Spiller. Clemson wins 34-21.

On Monday, the 7-5 Georgia Bulldogs battle 6-6 Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl, played in glorious Shreveport Louisiana. The game will be shown on ESPN2 and ESPN360.com at 5:00 ET. The Aggies boast a stellar offensive attack, but the Dawgs have discovered their running shoes. Georgia wins by 10.

Frank Beamer's 9-3 VT Hokies take on the 7-5 Volunteers on Thursday Dec 31 in the Chic-Fil-A Bowl. The game can be seen on ESPN at 7:30 ET. Tennessee trashes VT.

On New Year's Day, things begin to heat up in the SEC. In an early bird special, 7-5 Auburn faces the 8-4 Northwestern Wildcats in the Outback Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 AM ET on ESPN and ESPN360.com. Auburn 31 Northwestern 17.

A couple hours after the Outback Bowl gets going, you can watch the 9-3 LSU Tigers lose to 10-2 Penn State in the Capital One Bowl. This one starts at 1:00 ET on ABC.

Later on, tune your TV set to Fox. Tim Tebow's 12-1 Florida Gators face the 12-0 Cincinnati Bearcats in the Sugar Bowl at 8:30 ET. UF wins 42-14.

On Saturday, January 2nd, Spurrier leads his 7-5 Gamecocks to a Papajohns.com Bowl matchup with the 7-5 Connecticut Huskies. Kickoff is set for 2 ET on ESPN and ESPN360.com. Sloth Carolina wins by 9.

Also at 2 ET, the 8-4 Ole Miss Rebels take on 9-3 Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl. There's a bit of conference pride on the line in this one. After defeating UGA 24-10 on September 5th, the Cowboys can go 2-0 vs the SEC with a win. The only problem is, they've got no chance at stopping the McCluster led attack of Ole Miss. Rebels crush Cowboys.

At 5:30 ET, you can see 7-5 Arkansas in action, as Petrino's Pigs face the 9-4 Pirates of ECU in the Liberty Bowl on ESPN and ESPN360.com. Hogs run wild.

On Thursday, January 7, the undefeated Crimson Tide face a likewise undefeated Texas Longhorns squad to determine the undisputed champion of college football. Kickoff is set for 8:00 ET on ABC. Who is gonna take home that heralded crystal football?
Click on the title of this post for a hint.

P.S. Feel free to type your picks in the comments section. Or, you can send me an email and I'll post 'em.

My Christmas List

Dear Santa,
I would like the following for Christmas:

1. A "road win" for Arkansas. Petrino's Pigs went 0-4 away from Fayetteville in
2009. The Hogs kick off their new year with an appearance in the Liberty Bowl on Jan 2. Arkansas is the "away" team.

2. A decision from Auburn. What are ya'll, Tigers or War Eagles? The dual identity/ mascot thing has been confusing folks for years. Please choose one. BTW, I'd go with the Eagle. It looks cool flying over the stadium before your home games.

3. A winning season for Dan Mullen's dogs in 2010. It seems like ages, since Miss State's football program was relevant.

4. Adequate Rebel replacements for Shay Hodge (1,023 yds receiving) and Dexter McCluster down in Mississippi. Sophomore RB Brandon Bolden (614 yds rushing) looks like the heir apparent to #22. But, McCluster's versatility and game breaking talent will be missed.

5. More wins for the Kentucky Wildcats inside their own house in 2010. Their 7-5 record included 4 home losses in 2009.

6. Another 6 or 7 win season for Steve Spurrier. His inability to lead Sloth Carolina to prominence has got to feel like switches to the old ball coach's ego.

7. A conference win for Vanderbilt next season. The Commodores went 0-8 in '09 league play and finished with a pathetic 2-10 record. Even in Nashville, this is unacceptable.

8. Jordan Jefferson to continue his maturation at the QB position and lead his Tigers back into contention for the SEC West title. Although his pass completion improved drastically from 49.3 to 62.1% in '09, the Sophomore QB was sacked 32 times. Can't blame all of those on the O-Line. Jefferson is very talented, but he needs to learn when to throw the ball away.

9. No tears from Tim Tebow, following his final appearance in a UF uniform.

10. A brilliant DC and LBs coach for the Georgia Bulldogs.

11. A lump of coal for Lane Kiffin. A little humility for him wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

12. A victory over Texas in the BCS National Championship Game for Alabama. If the Crimson Tide can handle the Longhorns, this will be the 4th straight title for America's premiere league...The SEC.

AND 1: (Added on for 850) A great WR coach for UF and an offense that features future phenom, RB Mack Brown from M.L. King High School. Hope this kid has a great career, just not at the expense of UGA.


Merry Christmas ya'll!

P.S. Click on the title of this post.

No Playoffs, No Cry

Don't let Atlanta's 7-7 record fool ya. GM Thomas Dimitroff has done an impeccable job during his brief tenure with the Falcons. His first draft class included 2008 NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year, QB Matt Ryan, WR Harry Douglas (320 Receiving yards, 226 Punt Return yards- including a 61 yd TD, 46 Kick Return yards, and 69 yards rushing in 2008), LB Curtis Lofton (128 tackles and 2 forced fumbles in 2009), DE Kroy Biermann (44 tackles and 5 sacks in '09), and Safety Thomas DeCoud (63 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 interceptions in '09).

Not only has Dimitroff done a great job in building through the draft, he has supplemented very well in free agency. Some of his key acquisitions are RB Michael Turner (1,699 yards rushing, 17 td in '08 and 871 yards rushing, 10 tds in an injury plagued 2009 season), and LB Mike Peterson (100 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, interception in '09). Prior to the current season, he sent Kansas City a future 2nd round pick, in exchange for Hall of Fame TE Tony Gonzalez (820 yards receiving, 6 td for Falcons in 2009).

The 2009 season has not gone as I expected. But, I believe in the leadership of this franchise. Although Atlanta is no longer in contention for the playoffs, this team is headed in the right direction.

To view some of the talent Thomas Dimitroff has accumulated in Atlanta, click on the title of this post. About half way through, you'll see #83 Harry Douglas making some big plays in 2008. Unfortunately, he was sidelined for the entire '09 season with a torn ACL in August.

Atlanta Hawks Update

Tomorrow night, the Atlanta Hawks look to rebound from a deflating 3 point loss to Chicago in OT. Leading most of the way, Atlanta blew a 9 point advantage with more than 4 minutes left in regulation. Unable to contain Derrick Rose down the stretch, the Hawks were outscored 101-98 in the Windy City. Joe Johnson dropped 40 on the Bulls, but that wasn't enough to lead his squad to victory.

After a disappointing outcome in Chicago, Atlanta travels to Minnesota to take on the 5-23 Timberwolves. Al Jefferson(16.9 ppg), Kevin Love(12.3 Rebounds per game), and rookie guard Johnny Flynn(14.2 ppg, 4.2 apg) continue to play well for their floundering franchise.

Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 ET. Expect the Hawks to handle Minnesota quite easily in this one. The T'Wolves average a pitiful 94.4 ppg to Atlanta's 105.3. Defensively, Minnesota gives up 105 ppg, while Atlanta only surrenders 97. Just for kicks, I'll pick Atlanta to win 107-96.

Hawks Vs Jazz

The Utah Jazz came into tonight's game against the Atlanta Hawks with a 15-10 record. I think it's safe to say the visitors will leave Philips Arena with another loss in their pocket.

Atlanta put this game away in the 3rd quarter, outscoring Utah 37-17. With about 10 minutes left in the 4th, The Hawks lead 83-57. Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams (both on bench) have scored a combined 8 points.

Hawks Vs Grizzlies

The 17-6 Atlanta Hawks host Rudy Gay and the Memphis Grizzlies tonight at Philips Arena. Memphis is currently 10-14 on the season, averaging 101.6 PPG but allowing 104.6 to opponents. Atlanta is 10-2 at home and averages 105.8 PPG, while holding their opposition to 97.4.

The key match ups in tonight's game will be Joe Johnson (21 PPG) vs Rudy Gay (21.3 PPG). On the boards, Zach Randolph has been very productive for the Grizzlies, averaging 10 rebounds a game. Al Horford leads Atlanta in this category, averaging 9.3 boards per game.

Atlanta's depth should be too much for Memphis to handle. Jamal Crawford (16.5 PPG) excels in his 6th man role for a Hawks squad that continues to improve.

Opening tip is scheduled for 7:00 on Fox South. You can click on the title of this post to view some Hawks highlights from NBA.com.

Deja Wrong

Alabama fans, you're welcome. I've been wrong on so many picks this year, it ain't even funny. So, why should the SEC Championship be any different? I still can't believe the way UF got manhandled, but who cares? Bowl season will soon be upon us. At this point, it ain't exactly breaking news, but Saban's Tide will face off against Colt McCoy and the Texas Longhorns to decide a National Champion.

Well, what happens if a Brian Kelly-less Bearcats squad gets dismantled by Tebow and the eye gougers from Gainesville? Does the Fiesta Bowl winner stake claim to one half of the National Championship? Based on their rankings (#4 TCU and #6 Boise State), I'd guess that the undefeated Horned Frogs would have the strongest argument. But, TCU would need to route the loss-less Broncos, in order to breed such a discussion.

If this scenario unfolds, it may add some fodder to the "we need a playoff system" debate, but let's be honest. There will be no split National Championship like we saw in 1990, when G Tech and Colorado both claimed the title. Why? Because 1 program will be crowned king of college football and it will be Texas or (drum roll...not really needed) Alabama. Tide fans, you outta be concerned. I'm picking ya'll to beat Texas by 10.

The National Champion will be crowned where? Click on the title of this post.

And remember...Go Dawgs, ya'll!

P.S. How's the 6-1-9 DC? Hope you're havin' a blast out there, dude.

Hawks Vs NY Knicks

Atlanta opened the game with a flurry, outscoring NY 11-0 in the first minutes of the game. Then, the Knicks went on a huge rally, to take the lead.

After putting 34 points on the 1st quarter scoreboard, Atlanta is currently being limited to 8 in the 2nd (5:19 left at time of post). Al Harrington is dominating his former team, in front of a packed house at Philips Arena. The ex- Hawk has erupted for 25 points.

2 quick tech fouls on Josh Smith and he has been ejected from the game with 6:21 till halftime. Chris Duhon makes 1 of 2 FT. NY leads 51-42. I'll post a few updates later, in the comments section.

Hawks lead by 1 after 3.

SEC Championship

As the Alabama Crimson Tide prepare for tomorrow's SEC Championship Game vs Florida, they outta beware of deja vu. The victor will once again move on to play in the BCS Championship Game. Unfortunately for 'Bama, they will only be undefeated for one more day. Even worse, their only loss will be to the #1 team in college football. Ok, that's not the bad part. The cruel truth, is that this defeat will plummet the Tide out of National Title contention. Sound familiar? This is 2008 revisited. Well, minus a Florida loss to Ole Miss.

Who do you predict to win this game and why? Also, who will be named MVP of the 2009 SEC Championship Game?

According to Lane Kiffin, "Florida has the better players and Alabama has the better coaches." Call it an educated guess, if you will, but I'm sure Kiffin won't be wishing Urban Meyer any success tomorrow night.

Click on the title of this post for more deja vu. It will show you my pick for MVP of the 2009 SEC Championship Game. Not exactly an earth shattering prediction, but who cares?

Dawgs Win, Johnson Downplays Defeat

What's up, ya'll? It's been an interesting week in the state of Georgia. Last Saturday, Mark Richt took his "bad news Bulldogs" over to Craplanta and defeated the then #7 georgia tech yella jackets 30-24. Whooooooooooooo!!!!

Sorry for the lack of professionalism, but that was pretty sweet. I'm also sorry for the lack of class G.I.T. coach Paul Johnson showed on the radio. In an interview that caught the attention of the AJC's Bill King (the Junkyard Blawg), CPJ decided to throw some stones, shortly after his defense appeared to have none. King quotes Johnson referencing Georgia's program with these "sour grape-ish" quotes:
"What have they done to be the mark for georgia tech football? What's the last thing they've won? 1980?"

Oh, the dreaded 1980 line. Didn't think I'd ever hear an opposing coach throw out such irrelevant trash talk. You see, most of them at least pretend to have some class. But, Johnson is a different character.

In case he forgot, the last thing UGA won, was a game the Dawgs were expected to lose. Johnson's Ramblin' Wreckers were ranked #7 in the nation and UGA was a 6-5 team that just lost to Kentucky. But, Georgia flipped the script on 'em. The Dawgs out-rushed gt by 134 yards, en route to a 30-24 victory in that 55,000 seat stadium on the flats.
Paul Johnson, that's what "they've done" and that's the last thing "they've won." Go Dawgs!!

Click on the title of this post, to hear what I'd really like to tell the gt coach.