Don McPeak-US PRESSWIRE
It’s weekends like this past weekend that make me love college football. Big matchups across the country, huge games with BCS implications, and watching undefeated teams fall is what makes the college game so exciting. Also, watching your mortal enemies struggle is fun as well. The Alabama Crimson Tide took care of business in a monsoon rainstorm which carried the players off the field and most fans from the stadium. There were plenty of other important business happening in the SEC on Saturday as well, so let’s take a look at the state of the SEC.
Les Miles: Master of Syntax
Les Miles is known for his delightfully quirky and nonsensical usage of neat words and soundbites, like “perimeter” and “sincere contact.” Unfortunately, Les hasn’t given us anything worthy of a Banditref video this season, but he served us a slice of truth after the Bayou Bengals survived 23-21, in an admirable effort from the Gamecocks:
"“That was Death Valley, that was the place where opponents’ dreams go to die.”"
Now, this statement may come off as pompous or arrogant, but anyone outside the wounded South Carolina fan base knows better. There was no angle being played or malice intended. The notion harmlessly popped into Les Miles’ head, and so he said it.
More importantly though, he made the statement because it is the absolute truth. Death Valley is one of the toughest places to play in the country (not you, Clemson). At night, it is hands down the toughest. Les was just reminding us all of this fact. LSU is right back in the hunt. It’s as if the game against Florida last week didn’t even happen.
Folks in Gainesville would beg to differ. Gator Nation is standing proudly in their jean shorts and cut-off t-shirts at the top of the BCS standings, just behind Alabama. Their schedule strength has been extremely impressive so far. They won 31-17 against a scrappy Vanderbilt team this weekend. The road in the East does not get any easier though for the Gators though, as they play South Carolina and Georgia at home in back to back weeks.
More Cowbell Please
Meanwhile in Starkville, the Mississippi State Bulldogs have figured out how to play good football. They toyed with Tennessee, beating them 41-31. The Vols remained close for most of the game, but there was never the feeling that the Bulldogs would relinquish their lead.
They did what they wanted to against Tennessee. They got 26 first downs, had one penalty, no turnovers and held the ball for over 36 minutes. Those sound like Alabama stats. If both teams take care of business this weekend, the showdown in Tuscaloosa in two weeks will be the biggest in the rivalry’s history.
Derek Dooley coached the game from the press box due to surgery on his hip. ESPN, for some reason, gave us a Wilson-from-Home-Improvement view of Dooley from the press box, only showing the upper half of his face. Maybe the network was respecting the coach’s ability to send down plays without broadcasting them to the entire country.
Or maybe it was because of the obscenities he must have been shouting when his team continued to make high school mistakes, like letting the ball bounce on a kickoff return and letting the other team recover it. Dooley’s team doesn’t look untalented, just disorganized at times and unfocused at others. And their defense looks pretty porous. They will have their hands completely full this weekend.
“All Out”
Derek Dooley’s shortcomings thus far pale in comparison to Gene Chizik’s this year. The Auburn Tigers continue to provide fertile ground for high comedy with their completely awful play on both sides of the ball. They helped Ole Miss end their 16-game SEC losing streak and lost convincingly 41-20.
Auburn plays Vanderbilt next week. Gene Chizik’s seat cannot be any hotter, except of course if they lose to the Commodores, in which case his seat will no longer exist. If the Tigers lose, Gene Chizik is out … if he isn’t already.
I can tell you who is 100 percent, without a doubt, bet-the-farm out: Joker Phillips. I would say the Kentucky Wildcats are the worst team in the SEC, but you must first qualify as a football team. At least Auburn can do that. I don’t know what is going on in Lexington, but it sure isn’t football. It’s a shame too, because I believe Joker Phillips is a good man trying to do things the right way. Maybe that’s not enough at Kentucky.
The Wildcats were completely humiliated by Arkansas Razorbacks 49-7. The game was delayed several times like many of the games in the Midwest and Southeast were on Saturday. For Kentucky, the storm turned out to be the curtain of charity that was pulled over the horrific scene in Lexington: the game was called with 5 minutes left in the thirdquarter.
The Alabama Crimson Tide is back on the road this week in Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers. The game will be aired at 3:30 EST on CBS. Get your cigars ready.
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