Who is ready for some football?

[Dyas]

This is a line I read while on SI.com and this just made me smile even though I have heard it so many times........




This is the week when I'm supposed to jump on the Georgia bandwagon, right? That's what you're supposed to do whenever a highly ranked SEC team goes on the road and beats an equally heralded conference foe, because, as you know, the SEC is the toughest conference in the land, no questions asked.
But has anyone stopped to consider that maybe, just maybe, the league that merited four preseason top-10 teams isn't what it was cracked up to be this year?
Nothing against the Dawgs, whose "no-name" defense (ranked No. 7 nationally in points allowed) has been the driving force behind their 5-0 start and top-five national ranking, but let's be honest, this season's SEC offenses leave a lot to be desired. With the exception of one glorious quarter and overtime in Baton Rouge, Tennessee has been a mess. The Urban Meyer experiment at Florida is off to an overly rocky start. LSU is wildly inconsistent (the Tigers led Vanderbilt 12-6 after three quarters Saturday before pulling away). Auburn is a work in progress. South Carolina and Mississippi State, the two other conference teams Georgia has beaten, are well below that.
The D.J. Shockley-led Dawgs are a mix of good and bad, hence my hesitation to embrace this team. Anyone who watched their 27-14 win over the Vols on Saturday saw what amounted to a battle of turnovers. Georgia jumped to a 13-0 lead thanks in large part to Tennessee QB Rick Clausen's first-half interception at the goal line and subsequent fumble. Shockley then let the Vols back in the game in the second half with his own pick (which was returned 41 yards by Jonathan Wade) and fumble, before Tennessee doomed itself for good by turning the ball back over three plays later.
As a result, Georgia is sitting pretty in the SEC East, with the Oct. 29 Cocktail Party against Florida likely the lone obstacle in the way of a third trip in four years to the Georgia Dome. If the Gators fall to LSU next week, the Dawgs might not even have to win that one.
Georgia's defense is playing at the same dominant level as it has the past three seasons, despite losing renowned coordinator Brian VanGorder and first-day NFL Draft picks David Pollack, Thomas Davis and Odell Thurman. That's a credit not only to VanGorder's understudy, Willie Martinez, but also to a core of previously unheralded veterans (defensive end Quentin Moses, safeties Greg Blue and Tra Battle, cornerback DeMario Minter) who have taken their games to another level. The Dawgs' offense, however, much like the rest of the conference, is good but not great. Shockley is up and down. The running backs, Thomas Brown and Danny Ware, get the job done but they don't exactly wow you. The receivers are almost non-existent.
Don't get me wrong, I'll still take a flawed SEC over most of the nation's other major conferences right now. Let's face it, the Big Ten has been an embarrassment. Can you even name the second-best team in the Big 12? But when push comes to shove, there's only one SEC team, Alabama, who I'd give a fighting chance against a USC, Texas or Virginia Tech -- because the Tide are explosive both offensively and defensively.

[flfireman]

Very well thought post there. Do you feel Bama has the post season experience to go against USC or Texas and beat them. They are good, and yes they embarassed my GATORS, but the SEC is just a drop to going in for a National Title. Not sure who will pull it off.

[Dyas]

To tell you the truth I think bama will wind up 4th in the nation and not compete for the national title. But hopefully will though. I just dont realy see it happening. But hey, it is Bama. Like Notre Dame we dont play our games on paper. im not sure what i think really......

[WTL]

I'll answer that FL.

It is my opinion as a student at The University of Alabama that if we were to face either team in the Rose Bowl, there would be no way we would lose. Post-season experiance for the tide? Well, we have more bowl appearences and bowl wins than any other program. The team knows this, even though most have only played in 1 bowl game, and they are not in awe of any program in the country. The whole UF game last week, it was just one step in what I have called our "revenge" tour - basically the last 5 years have been terrible because of things out of our control, but with a program with as much pride, tradition and focus, you get them in a big game and you are garanteed to see this team fight and do anything it can to win. Remember, there is an unusual number of seniors on this team, guys who have played for 4 years cause of a lack of depth and have tons of experiance, they are the heart of this team. I said before the year that I thought we would suprise a lot of folks and it looks like I was right. How far can it go? I don't know, but this team thinks they are every bit USC, Texas and Va Techs equal. The problem is still the same - depth, we are young on the line and in some other areas - and lets face it you need luck to make it to Pasedena, everyone does, but it wouldn't suprise me. Looking at the way the schedule sets up, there is not 1 team that will be favored over us this year until perhaps the sec championship or maybe, hopefully the Rose bowl.

[Dyas]

I here Mama Callin WTL............. Rose Bowl it is.......... Hopefully

[Dyas]

I ate my ribs this week. Steaks next week. Gonna be a good one. Bama better be prepared. DJ said he wanted to wear #4 for Prothro but he worn #22 instead this week. I want to see the #4 jersy back on the field against UT. I hope Bama stops the sloppy crap this week and gets well prepared for UT next week. There going to have to play like champions if they want to walk away 7-0 in this one. Even though Tennesse is over rated in my mind they are going to play like they want to win. Bama better be prepared. That NDvs USC game made me sick! They lost it in the last 7 seconds . They played good though I have to give them credit. They exposed a lot about USC this week.

[flfireman]

Penn vs Mich.- great game, felt sorry for the lions, ND vs USC- man almost cried, so wanted to see them lose- ND should be ranked higher. FL vs LSU- not sure what to say, I did cry at this one.

[Dyas]

FL vs LSU- not sure what to say, I did cry at this one.

So did Urban Meyer so I hear

[southernsnatcher]

i didnt lol

[angelus40]

cincinnati bearcats vs louisville

[WTL]

That was one of the best weekends of my college life. Finally after 5 years, my Dad was able to come down and see the first Bama game he has seen in 20 something years. I guess the pics will say more than just a bunch of words though.










http://www.rolltide.com/livestats/fo...s/IMG_9163.jpg





http://www.rolltide.com/livestats/fo..._tenn05_dc.jpg

[Nitro911]

So here is my question. How can the Cowboys have a game locked up and then lose it. If you eliminate 10 minutes from their season, they are 7-0. How do you have the lead with 4 minutes or less in a game and let the other team score not just once (Oakland) but twice (Washington and now Seattle).

Now I watch football, but I am not a big X's and O's kind of guy. What is happening here? Lack of concentration on the defense's part? Lack of conditioning? Can anybody help me out here?

Stupid Cowboys....Go Saints!

[WTL]

I'm not sure, but I do know that throw by Bledsoe was one of the dumbest decisions I've seen in a while. A curl route to the sideline is the most commonly intercepted play in football, and thats the route that he threw.

[Nitro911]

Granted, that was a really bad decision. Everybody knew what they were going to try and do. But how does a defense that has held a team to 3 points in about 57 minutes give up 10 points in less than 3? I just don't get it.

[angelus40]

even tho the bengals lost yesterday their still in first
and the bearcats lost against louisville
louisville 46 cincinnati bearcats 22

[flfireman]

Cant help w/ the COWBOYS. Haven't figured it out myself. Was glad to see the redemption at the cocktail party. Thought they were gonna blow it.

[angelus40]

who saw that cincinnati greenbay game where a fan ran into the field
and took the ball from farve

[Dyas]

that fan must have really wanted a ball

[Sluggo Man]

Time for the Colts to stop running away on the easiest schedule among playoff teams and get their first loss handed to them on a platter.

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by Sluggo Man

Time for the Colts to stop running away on the easiest schedule among playoff teams and get their first loss handed to them on a platter.

Sounds like a frustrated Patriot fan to me LOL. We'll see tommorrow night won't we. Your team finally had the injury bug hit them majorly this year. They have not had that problem for quite some time. Oh yeah I hope they don't get hurt anymore with Freeney rushing in on them The Colts finally have a for real defense, and that has been what they were missing for years.

Lizards

[basscatcher03]

lets go cowboys

[bassfisher02]

i am purely disguisted at the gators......how in the world do they let themselves be in the position to have to go into over time against VANDERBILT!!!! unbelievable........i was at that game, what was amazing is how in overtime even tho almost a quarter of the people left, the stadium was louder then i have heard it in awhile. i think about all of us were screaming as loud as we could. and when we got that interception to win the game the place just erupted. i will say that the gators showed some of the worst pass defence i have ever seen. there QB was very good, but that isnt an excuse, we should have shut them down from the get go. but i am glad that we did win, or else i would have been crying the whole ride home......phew

[zooker]

ummm vanderbuilt is fairly good this year and gators need something -aint sure what yet- i am planning on being at the nc state/ gator game..should be VERY good..


zooker

[Dyas]

I am looking forward to that game Zook. I would like to see Spurrier beat the Gators. I think they will come out with it as long as there defense stays strong. I am scared for my tide though. There offense is terrible and there O line needs work. They need to be well prepared for the strong defensive front of LSU or its over. I think that the Hurricans is the best team in the nation. The way they played Virginia Tech. last week they can beat anyone out there.

[WTL]

We are gonna have to beat LSU (and everyone else) with defense. Luckily, there is a precedent for such. Since 1966 Bama has gone undefeated every 13 years (1979, 1992). Its been 13 years since 1992, when we won the national championship with a qb who threw for 17 yards and 2 interceptions in the sugar bowl. Should we win it all this year it would be National Championship #13. I saw all these numbers at the begining of the year and laughed them off, but now that we are 9-0 and #3 in the country I'm not laughing.

PS, I'm gonna be on national tv saturday morning. Roll Tide!