Week 5

Missouri @ UCF (11:00, FSN)- I think this might be the most deceiving SEC game of the weekend. UCF isn't very good, but Mizzou is coming off a tough physical loss. If they can right the ship I expect the rest of the year to be a good one. I think the Tigers will pull away with a win, but the game will be MUCH closer than expected.

Arkansas @ Texas A&M (11:00, SEC Network)- Who would have thought going into the season that A&M would be so largely favored? This thing is going the wrong way for the Hogs, and going the wrong way fast. I think this will probably be a blow out. Arkansas has quit on John L. Smith. Period. It really is a sad thing to watch.

Tennessee @ Georgia (2:30, CBS)- This think might be close for a quarter, but after that it could get ugly. Georgia is so far superior to the Vols and I expect the Dawgs to show off to the nation what they are made of, letting them know the SEC is now the "big 3". If Tennessee keeps this thing within 3 touchdowns I will be very surprised.

South Carolina @ Kentucky (6:00, ESPN2)- Poor Kentucky :(

Townson @ LSU (6:00, ESPNU)- Who and where the hell is Townson. If ever LSU comes out to punish a team, it will be this week after struggling at Auburn. Put all the money you have on LSU, I don't care what the spread is.

Ole Miss @ Alabama (8:15, ESPN)- I've come up with a theory that when the Rebels play on national TV they have to put them in the late slot so no young child will have to see the blood that is sacrificed by the Rebels as they try to hang. This is just a pure mismatch (as Alabama will be with most people they play this year). The only way this game will be interesting is if the Bama players feel the same way I do and don't play up to their level. But Nick Saban's teams don't do that. Also curious to see if A.J. Mccarron can continue to climb the Heisman ranks. He is quietly becoming a favorite from the SEC.

My Record For Predicting SEC Games

Week 1: 10-1

Week 2: 9-2

Week 3: 10-2

Week 4: 9-1

Overall: 38-6 (86%)

Other Games I'm Excited About

• Baylor @ West Virginia (11:00, FX)
• Ohio State @ Michigan State (2:30, ABC)
• Florida State @ South Florida (5:00, ESPN)
• Texas @ Oklahoma State (6:50, FOX)
• Wisconsin @ Nebraska (6:00, ABC)
• Oregon @ Washington State (9:30, ESPN2)

I'll leave you with this: We all know what a great coach he is, but some how he never ceases to amaze. I love you, Steve Spurrier.

Why Do We Care About Uniforms?

Today, Mississippi State unveiled two special alternate jerseys that they will wear for a home against Texas A&M and at Mississippi later this season. Several people asked me today what I thought and since my view is much different than most would believe I decided to share. Let me give you the first simple answer and then I'll expand on my answer.
Q: Rob, do you like the new uniforms? A: I don't care. JUST WIN.
Ok let's go a little bit deeper. These uniforms were not meant for me and my enjoyment. I have a theory, that if we could sit down with Scott Stricklin, Dan Mullen and company, they would agree with this 100%.
My theory is this: these uniforms are made for 2 reasons.
1) For recruiting purposes. I can't explain why, but 16/17/18 year old recruits eat this stuff up. It is why Oregon has such an easy time recruiting. It's what this generation calls "swag". Like I said I don't get it but it works. Anything to get any upper hand on a kid visiting your campus. Recruiting is the name of the game in college football, and if you don't have the prestige of an Alabama or LSU, you must do something to be set apart as these kids are recruited.
2) To get people talking. Now I know this one upsets people, but fact of the matter is a place as small as Mississippi State, any publicity is good publicity. Today, a lot of people in our state were talking about Mississippi State. In fact, a lot of those people talking were from the University of Mississippi and making fun of them. But State's marketing department simply wants people talking and today, they did exactly what they set out to do. In an off week, when their rival school is set to play the #1 team in the nation Saturday, this is what people are talking about. It's even the lead story on The Clarion Ledger's website.
Now, after all this, the bulldogs have one thing left to do. JUST WIN.

Keep It Weird, SEC

First off I would like to apologize for missing Friday's blog. Due to personal reasons (laziness) I wasn't able to get around to it. So let's catch up.

14. Kentucky- Awful. Simply awful. I plan on attending a game in Lexington in 2 weeks, and I will not be surprised if Joker Philips is not on the sideline. No hope.

13. Vanderbilt- This team seems to be digressing each week. Now I understand that going in to Athens is a tall order, but they showed barely any pulse. I think James Franklin is a hell of a coach, but succeeding at Vanderbilt is proving to be just too much.

12. Ole Miss- The rebels scored 26 first quarter points. They may not score that many points the rest of the season. Now begins a stretch that might just be the hardest stretch in college football this year. While I said all along and still believe it, the Rebs are much improved but with this schedule, I just don't see anything good happening.

11. Auburn- The Tigers showed signs of life this weekend, but just have NO offense to compete this year. Kiehl Frazier is the worst quarterback I've seen in a long time. And remember the QBs I've had to watch here in Starkville. This could be a LOOONG year for the Tigers.

10. Arkansas- What we have learned a month into the season is that Bobby Petrino just didn't care to recruit a defense. For the last couple of years he was able to hide it with an amazing offense, but now that he is gone, that has been exposed. Poor John L. Smith...

9. Texas A&M- The Aggies continue to win the games they are suppose to. But the SEC play is about to resume, and I expect things to get ugly.

8. Tennessee- The Florida games seemed to put this team in a lull. Although they won they still looked to not care. Did that loss take the wind out of the Vols sails? I think it might have. And sadly Dooley continues to coach for his job.

7. Missouri- Welcome to the SEC. A lot of flaws were exposed on the road at South Carolina. However, they have gotten the big boys in the East out of the way. I expect a lot of wins from here on out.

6. Mississippi State- Last week the defense looked atrocious and the offense was solid, this week was the complete opposite. Fact of the matter is the Dawgs are 4-0 for only the 5th time in school history. I want you all to ponder that stat for a moment. ONLY THE 5TH TIME!!!!!!!!! Now heading into a bye week, the Dawgs better learn how to put a complete game together if they want to succeed in the SEC.

5. Florida- The Gators are finally finding an identity under Will Muschamp. Still not 100% sold on this team but they haven't let down yet. The schedule sets up for Florida which will play a huge factor.

4. South Carolina- A very solid performance against a very good Mizzou team. This defense is one of the stoutest in the nation. If the offense can just be average, they will win 11 maybe 12 games. Only 2 weeks away from the matchup against Georgia. Can not wait.

3. LSU- You might think this is an over reaction dropping the Tigers, but I assure you it's not. I attribute the Tigers struggles to playing their first SEC road game with a young inexperienced QB. I expect this to be a wake-up call and the Bayou Bengals will come away from this game hungry and pissed.

2. Georgia- I love watching this team. They seem so complete at every position. And Aaron Murray is on my Heisman watch-list. Pair that with a stellar defense...oh boy this is is gonna be a fun year for the Dawgs. Mark Richt is the only thing that could get in the way of this thing.

1. Alabama- PAAAAWWWWLLLL, THE TIDE GAVE UP 7 POINTS!!! DOES THAT MEAN THEY SUCK????

Heisman List (Week 3)

5. A.J. McCarron

4. Braxton Miller

3. Aaron Murray

2. De'Anthony Thomas

1. Geno Smith

My Top 10

10. Kansas State

9. Texas

8. Stanford

7. South Carolina

6. Florida State

5. West Virginia

4. LSU

3. Georgia

2. Oregon

1. Alabama

A Strange Year So Far

14. Kentucky- It's unreal how terrible this team is. Things may get very very very bad this season.

13. Ole Miss- Ok I will start off with the positives, this Rebel offense is approximately 100,000x better than last year. That is legitimately the ONLY positive. This version of defense seriously might be worse than last years!! Which is absolutely bind boggling. The can't tackle, they can't cover and they can't get off the field on 3rd downs. And while Bo Wallace is a heck of an athlete, if he keeps playing so recklessly, we really might see him die on the field at some point this year. We all knew this thing was gonna take time to rebuild, but this defense is AT LEAST 2 years away from being able to compete at an SEC level.

12. Vanderbilt- Poor Presbyterian was shown no mercy as Vandy showed what I thought they could be this year. James Franklin is a heck of a coach and it was fun to see his team perform at a higher level this weekend. Still have a tough schedule coming up but things are looking up.

11. Auburn- HAHAHA LOLOLOL

10. Arkansas- This is just one I do not get. I get you are missing your starting QB and you are playing the best team in the nation, but I agree with Tyler Wilson, this team simply quit. Why? Do the Razorbacks think they have nothing left to play for? If so, this season is going to be very very long.

9. Texas A&M- A solid win for A&M after a tough first loss last week. The spread is still gonna be tough to make work in the SEC but the Aggies needed this one.

8. Tennessee- I struggled the first 2 weeks with whether the Vols were really that good or really overrated. Well they answered that in the 2nd half yesterday. A Florida team, who I still think is very very weak, made Tennessee look stupid. But what scares me way more, it seems as if the team quit on Dooley when the collapse ensued. Fans are already calling for Dooley's head...again. Life in the SEC.

7. Missouri- A very impressive win for the Tigers at home. ASU is a solid team that Mizzou seemed to handle pretty easy. Now time for some more SEC. Interested to see who they will beat, if anybody.

6. Florida- Still not sold on this team. However, this is the best the Gators have looked in Muschamp's young career. They looked very sloppy in the first half, but the second half was very sharp. If they can find that kind of play consistently, then the Gators might just be back.

5. Mississippi State- The bulldogs in absolutely no way earned their spot here. The rest of the SEC's mediocrity pushed them to #5. What an absolutely pathetic performance by a team with so many expectations. The one positive I take from this is, it's better to learn from a win than a loss. Hopefully this is a swift kick to the ass. The Dawgs better wake up and set their focus on what lies ahead.

4. South Carolina- The Gamecocks struggled early, but found their rhythm late to make it a blowout. Both QBs played significant time and both were solid. This is stupid because 2 QB systems do not work in the SEC. I can not say that enough.

3. Georgia- The Bulldogs had 713 yards on offense. I'll let you have a minute to let that soak in... As long as Mark Richt doesn't do something stupid (like he always does, AM I RIGHT?), then Georgia will be at the top all year.

2. LSU- Another easy win. This team is so much fun to watch. All 4 defensive lineman, and their backups will start in the NFL. Now going into SEC play I only expect their level of play to go way up. Which is very frightening.

1. Alabama- BAMA PLAYED 6 RUNNING BACKS. ALL WERE GOOD. IT'S NOT FAIR. ROLL TIDE!!!

Heisman List (Week 3)

5. Braxton Miller

4. Aaron Murray

3. Tahj Boyd

2. De'Anthony Thomas

1. Geno Smith

My Top 10

10. Stanford/Texas

9. South Carolina

8. Clemson

7. West Virginia

6. Oklahoma

5. Georgia

4. Florida State

3. Oregon

2. LSU

1. Alabama

Week 3

Auburn vs. Louisiana-Monroe (11:21, SEC Network)- Who would have ever thought the Auburn Tigers would walk into this game, scared of starting their season 0-3? Well if the Tigers aren't careful, that is exactly what they will be. Louisiana-Monroe is coming fresh off their shocking upset against Arkansas and Auburn has 0 confidence. I still look for the Tigers to rebound and find a way. ALL IN!!

Vanderbilt vs. Presbyterian (11:30, CSS)- Nomination for worst game of the year. Vandy easily wins.

Texas A&M @ SMU (2:30, FSN)- An interesting match up. How do the Aggies respond after a heartbreaking first game in the SEC? They're young which leads me to believe the will struggle. This game will be much closer than expected, but A&M will find a way late.

Alabama @ Arkansas (2:30, CBS Sports)- A week ago this game was one of the most anticipated of the year, but now we're asking how bad it will be. Injuries are a part of football, but unfortunately for the Razorbacks, losing Tyler Wilson might cost them their season. Bama is a 21 POINT FAVORITE ON THE ROAD!! And what is crazy, I think The Tide will cover the spread. Poor John L. Smith...

Florida @ Tennessee (5:00, ESPN)- While this should be a great game, I have absolutely no idea why College Gameday chose this as game of the week. Florida is VASTLY overrated and undersized on both sides of the ball in the trenches. I actually think Tennessee wins by 14-17 points. But again, both these teams are overrated.

Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky (6:00, ESPNU)- I want to put The Wildcats on upset alert, but I don't think it would even be an upset if Western Kentucky won. However, being at home I'm taking Kentucky. Look for this to be an absolutely awful game.

Missouri vs. Arizona State (6:00, ESPN2)- Probably the game I'm most excited about this weekend involving an SEC team. Arizona State is high flying team just like Mizzou. But can Mizzou respond after Georgia coming into their house and laying the hammer. I look for the Tigers to right the ship and get a big win.

Mississippi State @ Troy (6:00, ESPN3)- This is what coaches like to call a "trap game". Coming off a huge win against Auburn, first game on the road and the bulldogs being told how good they are, are all factors in making this a weird game. Troy has an explosive offense. LAST WEEK THEY RAN ALMOST 100 PLAYS, 75 OF THOSE BEING PASSES!!! Now obviously an SEC defense is a much different situation, but this game will show how focused the Dawgs are for their season. I expect Mississippi State to win a frustrating game.

South Carolina vs. UAB (6:00, FSN)- While we all know South Carolina will win easily, you need to hope they do enough stupid things in the first half to get a memorable half time interview with The Ole Ball Coach.

Georgia vs. Florida Atlantic (6:30, CSS)- Another one of those games that lets you know how focused your team is. I look for Georgia to win easily, but sloppy.

LSU vs. Idaho (7:00)- Pray for Idaho. Seriously...

Ole Miss vs. Texas (8:15, ESPN)- This has to be one of the most anticipated games ever in Oxford. What a cool matchup to bring one of the most historically successful teams in college football history into Oxford. Both teams come in 2-0 which makes this even more intriguing. While Ole Miss is obviously much improved, this is their first true test against anybody with any kind of athletic ability. I think the Rebels will be able to put up some points but their defense still looks too weak to stop anybody. I look for this to be close for the first half, then Texas gaining the composure and pulling away in the second half. However, I would not bet on this game.

My Record For Predicting SEC Games

Week 1: 10-1

Week 2: 9-2

Overall: 19-3 (86%)

Other Games I'm Excited About

• CalIfornia @ Ohio State (11:00, ABC)
• USC @ Stanford (6:30, FOX)
• Notre Dame @ Michigan State (7:00, ABC)

I'll leave you with this: We need to take this opportunity to think about the Oxford Police Department and their upcoming weekend. Whoever thought it would be a good idea to give Ole Miss and Texas fans until 8:15 at night to drink whiskey, should be slapped. THEY MAY NOT WIN EVERY GAME, BUT THEY NEVER LOSE A PARTY. HOTTY TODDY.

What is happening?!?

Week 2 was very confusing to me. Trying to set up these power ranking was very head scratching. But here we go...

14. Kentucky- Just to clarify my stance, Kentucky WILL be here all year unless they beat someone of any significance. They are simply terrible.

13. Vanderbilt- This spot was very conflicting. But I think the Commodores have earned this spot. They are coming off 2 very tough games, but my problem is can they keep their heads up after a difficult 2 weeks. Getting back to a bowl game might be very difficult at this point.

12. Auburn- Take it from someone who watched this team play live this weekend: the Tigers are absolutely terrible. I mean atrocious. If Kiehl Frazier is the best option Aubrn has at QB they are in for a LONG year. They can't tackle on defense, their offense line can't block, receivers can't get open...well you get the point. Terrible. It will be nothing short of a miracle for them to make a bowl game.

11. Ole Miss- The rebels have not as much earned this spot as they have falling into. Now give credit where credit is due, Bo Wallace has done what any SEC athlete should do to 2 awful oppositions. But after the last 2 seasons from hell you can understand the excitement coming from Oxford. The offense is much much improved under Feeze, but the defense still looks awful. Going into SEC schedule, this could be a big problem.

10. Texas A&M- One half is all the Aggies had in them, against a not so good Florida team. I have terrible new for the Aggies: this was only the first of 8 games against this SEC, and this was probably the 7th worst tema you play. Uh oh...

9. Florida- The Gators only moved up because I couldn't put them below a team they beat on the road. They looked much better this week, but I'm still not sold. QB play is still way too shaky for me to have any kind of confidence in them.

8. Missouri- Mizzou did exactly as I predicted in last weeks blog (look if you don't believe). They gave Georgia a game for a half, then completely lost control of the game. I expect the 2 new SEC schools to struggle all year, which delights me to no end. ESS EEH SEE!!!!!

7. Arkansas- The most head scratching game of this early season. Did Bobby Petrino really mean THAT much to this team that the razorbacks can't even beat a Sun-Belt team? Well I really don't know how to answer that question. I think this was a fluke, but it really makes you question where the hell do the hogs go from here.

6. Mississippi State- The bulldogs start 2-0 for the first time since 1999. Take a minute and soak that in. This defense will be a defense that all the SEC will be talking about this year. The front 4 along with the defensive secondary could compete with any one in the nation. The offense is still a work in process in my opinion. Tyler Russell looks to finally give the dawgs a legit QB for the first time since...well, forever. The offensive line still looks somewhat shaky and Tyler is holding on to the ball a bit too long, but overall, one has to be pleased. Any win in the SEC, especially the West, is huge in the early season.

5. Tennessee- Probably the most surprising team in the SEC in this young season. The have a great QB, weapons on the outside and very solid defense. This is recipe for a good year in the SEC. I never thought I would say this, but expect the Vols to compete for the East this year.

4. South Carolina- The ole ball coach seems to remind us every year how great of a QB coach he is. The back up, Dylan Thompson, came in and looked like a new player after struggling last week. The only thing that concerns me is the struggle of Lattimore. Is the knee bothering him more than we initially thought?

3. Georgia- For a team that plays "old man football," the dawgs put on a clinic in Columbia. This might finally be Mark Richt's year.

2. LSU- After giving up 3 points on Washington's first drive, LSU woke up and looked like te team we thought they would be this year. Mettenburger is getting comfortable, they have 3 legit options and RB and the defense is killing people. They are who we thought they were.

1. Alabama- I love Nick Saban:

Heisman List (Week 2)
5. Tahj Boyd (Clem)
4. De'Anthony Thomas (Ore)
3. Le'Veon Bell (MSU)
2. Geno Smith (WVU)
1. Matt Barkley (USC)

My Top 10
10. Michigan State
9. Clemson
8. West Virginia
7. Oklahoma
6. Georgia

5. Florida State
4. Oregon
3. USC
2. LSU
1. Alabama

What to expect week 2

Aubuen @ Mississippi State (11:00, ESPN)- The last several seasons, this game has been a great matchup, but with the Tigers claiming victory every year. Is this the year Dan Mullen and his Bulldog's finally get over the hump and beat a West team not named Ole Miss? I'm not brave enough to make this prediction...

East Carolina @ South Carolina (11:21)- Should be an easy game for the Gamecocks. But the ole ball coach and his team need this to fix what was a bad start at Vandy. If history has taught us anything, Steve Spurrier knows how to take the bad and turn it into something good.

Florida @ Texas A&M (2:30 ESPN)- Probably the most anticipated SEC game of this early season. And while I'm excited, these are probably 2 of the worst teams in the SEC, so it actually might be a sloppy game. As bad as they looked, I think the Gators will be more prepared and go into to College Station and steal a win.

Western Kentucky @ Alabama (2:30)- Pray for WKU...

Georgia State @ Tennessee (3:00)- Although I think the Vols win easyily, I'm interested to see if they come out focused and ready after a week of hearing how good they are.

UTEP @ Ole Miss (6:00, Fox Sports)- The Miners are a significant step up from last weeks opponent. Can the rebels put back to back solid performances together? I think they can on the way to a 3-1 start. Very excited to see QB Bo Wallace in action.

Arkansas vs. Louisiana Monroe (6:00, ESPNU)- Should be an easy one for the Hogs, however I am interested to see if the Defense can step up and show improvement going into the heart of their schedule.

Washington @ LSU (6:00, ESPN)- Pray for Washington... (and hope the live tiger does not escape at Washington's practice)

Kent State @ Kentucky (6:30)- Not sure there is a game I care less about this whole season.

Georgia @ Missouri (6:45, ESPN2)- Welcome to the SEC Missouri. I think the crowd will keep the Tigers in the game early, but expect Georgia to run away with it in the 2nd half. Interested to see how Mizzou's spread works against a big, fast and athletic team like Georgia.

Vanderbilt @ Northwestern (7:00)- Ready to see if James Franklin has been able to keep his team focused and move on from a tough loss. It's always tough to go on the road, but I think Vandy wins and might go on a serious roll early this season.

Other Games I'm Excited About

• Nebraska @ UCLA (6:30, FOX)
• UCF @ Ohio State (11:00, ESPN2)
• Oklahoma State @ Arizona (9:30)
• Savannah State @ Florida State (5:00) - I wanna see this game because the line is -64.5!!!!!

I'll leave you with this. As the bulldogs from Mississippi State take the field this week, we will all be anxiously awaiting to see if they can redeem themselves from this:

WE ALL HAVE FAITH IN YOU!!

Well week 1 did not disappoint. It just feels right to wake up on saturdays again and have a full day. A few shakes up in the SEC that made me reconsider my rankings. So here is the new list:

14. Kentucky   (Previous Rank:14)
Nothing about their performance gave you any hope for this year. They have one of the worst defenses I've seen in the SEC in a long time. It's gonna be a long year for the Wildcats.

13. Ole Miss   (Previous Rank: 13)
After a shaky first half he Rebels were MUCH improved under first year head Coach Hugh Freeze. Bo Wallace looked very poised to have a great year. A stat that is of concern is the 1st and 2nd string QBs were the leading rushers. A RB has to step up to have any kind of consistent season.

12. Florida   (Previous Rank: 8)
I know it seems dramatic to drop the Gators this much, but they were awful. Muschamp handled this QB situation just terribly. I can not say it enough: 2 QB SYSTEMS DO NOT WORK IN THE SEC.

11. Vanderbilt   (Previous Rank: 12)
Not often does a loss move you up in the ranks but I think the Dores, although they came up short, showed they could be a quality team this year.

10. Texas A&M   (Previous Rank: 10)
Didn't play, so I didn't move them.

9. Missouri   (Previous Rank: 9)
The Tigers looked solid against a cupcake, but we'll learn much more about them this week hosting the Georgia Bulldogs.

8. Auburn   (Previous Rank: 7)
The Tigers really struggled to find their identity on offense against Clemson, however the defense held their own. If the Tigers can find more consistent QB play, expect this ranking to go up before years end.

7. Tennessee   (Previous Rank: 11)
The Vols make the biggest jump this week. Tyler Bray and Cordarrelle Patterson's are studs.

6. Mississippi State   (Previous Rank: 6)
The Bulldogs did what they had to do against a cupcake team. The OL held their own against a sold JSU defensive line. But both Tyler Russell and the defensive secondary looked shaky. The real test comes this week hosting the Auburn Tigers.

5. South Carolina   (Previous Rank: 4)
While the Gamecocks defense looked amazing, the offense looked equally as bad. Both Connor Shaw and the Offensive line have got to step their game up.

4. Arkansas   (Previous Rank: 5)
Solid start for the Hogs against a cupcake. However the defense did give up a bunch of points. Could be an issue in the SEC.

3. Georgia   (Previous Rank: 3)
The Bulldogs took care of business at home. Many wondered how easily they could replace Isaiah Crowell after he was dismissed. But the Dawgs did it by committee and they look just fine.

2. LSU   (Previous Rank: 1)
The LSU offense looks like it might be there this year to go with their stunning defense. If that is the case, we should all be scared.

1. Alabama   (Previous Rank: 2)
The Tide earned their spot at #1 with the absolute beat down of Michigan. It's almost unfair how easily they reload after losing so many key players from last year. What a testament to how great of a coach Nick Saban really is.

Heisman List (week 1)
5. Taylor Martinez (Neb)
4. De'Anthony Thomas (Ore)
3. Matt Barkley (USC)
2. Le'Veon Bell (MSU)
1. Geno Smith (WVU)


My Top 10
10. Wisconsin
9. Arkansas
8. West Virginia
7. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
5. Florida State
4. Oregon
3. USC
2. LSU
1. Alabama

I'll leave you with this. In case you missed it, this will certainly go down as one of the funniest moments in college football this season: