Solved: Why Georgia can’t beat Alabama

From the pinky to the thumb, we have beat you like a drum.

For those of you in East Phenix City, that’s Five in a Row.

The reason why this is so has vexed Bulldog faithful since this streak started in 2008. The Georgia braintrust (snicker) went out and lured away the best defensive coordinator in the country as their head coach and well…

Even when Alabama looked down and out and beaten about, Georgia still lost and now finally… here’s the reason why.

This is the best sandwich in the state. 

Georgia… Seriously? Pimiento Cheese?

It’s not just that their best is what every fifth grader in the great State of Alabama (indeed, the rest of the nation) hated so much that they needed therapy for mommy issues later in life. It’s also that the damnable thing is made with plain ol’ white toast, and comes with Fritos corn chips.  Worst of all, you have to make it yourself. Right there. In the restaurant. In front of everybody.

Hey there, lil’ doggie… did your mommy also pack a few pitted prunes for your fruit snack? Skim milk too, right?

Alabama’s best makes Chick Fil A mildly jealous. Slow smoked for three hours, hand-separated, dunked with a spicy, tangy white BBQ sauce and topped with slaw. It’s Big Bob’s Chicken and it’s a world class champ, baby.

This is serious business. You take this lightly at your gravest peril, sir. You too, madam.

Bama’s other SEC foes don’t offer much better.

Mississippi offers up a pig’s ear sandwich (they really do eat everything but the oink).

Arkansas spoils golden catfish with fried baloney.

Unsurprisingly, Florida’s Cubano ain’t even American. Would the last Gator to leave please bring our flag?

At least Louisiana does it half right with a Po’ Boy but half wrong with the wrong restaurant (Mother’s owns everybody else).

My momma always said that you are what you eat, and we ain’t nothin’ but a winner.

Finally, a real test for Alabama

The Alabama Crimson Tide’s 11-game streak of wins by 20 or more points could come to an end Saturday.

No team in the history of football as we know it has done this. The last time it happened (Yale, 1888), neither the forward pass nor the football helmet had been invented. The streak is in serious jeopardy, and the team that threatens to derail Alabama’s train to the title is the same one that Bama hadn’t led through four quarters of last year’s College Football Playoff championship game.

Both the Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs have seen roster changes since January 2018. The most notable change has been at QB for Alabama. Heisman shoo-in Tua Tagovailoa took over at halftime against UGA last time, but now he’s had a jaw-droppingly good season with more 20-, 30-, 40-, 50-, 60- and yes 70-yard passes than anyone else. He’s had more touchdown passes than incompletions in more games than anyone else on the planet. He reads defenses like Evelyn Wood read Dr. Seuss books and he’s as deadly running the ball as he is throwing it.

UGA has reloaded on a defense that sacked Tua last January and created the now Glorious 2nd and 26.  The strength of the Bulldog defense is the linebacking corps in Kirby Smart’s Sabanesque 3-4 over/under scheme. This defense will attempt to do the same thing LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn tried to do: get pressure on Tua, make him throw a second or so before he wants to and try to pick up a turnover here or there.

Offensively, QB Jake Fromm is a year older and better. He’s not Tua, but he has two very good running backs in Elijah Holyfield and D’Andre Swift. These are guys that could legit start for Bama. And, he’s still got the “other Ridley,” Riley. Georgia has a fine football team that has shamed many good opponents and lost only to an LSU team that played way over its pay grade for one day.

Alabama’s defense is still getting better each week and looks like there’s still room to grow. A lot of speculation rumbles about LB Terrell Lewis returning, but even if he does play (I’ll be mildly surprised if he does), his time away from big-time college football will limit his impact. At the start of the season, the Tide defense lacked only experience. That box has been checked. Bama is at or near the top in every defensive statistic. The team is hard to run on consistently and the secondary has grown into an elite unit.

What gives Bama the edge is a solid and tested offensive line that is just a bit better than UGA’s defensive front, and a defensive front of its own that is at worst a tossup against UGA’s blocking crew.

That, and Nick Saban, who is winning his way into becoming the best college football coach ever.

As this is being posted, Alabama is about a 12 point favorite. I think this will be a good game through mid 4th quarter, with Bama icing it with a late TD.

Alabama 35, Georgia 17

Yeah, this really is how I watched the National Championship Game

This really was the Classic for the Ages that was mentioned last week. And these really were the two best teams in the country.



True to form, Georgia fans are whining about the officiating.



Bama fans, like me, are just glad to 'suspire' today. Yes, suspire. It means to exhale slowly, with a sigh of great relief. Funnymaine nails it with this video.

Border War: Alabama vs Georgia sets up a classic for the ages.

It's Us versus Them.

Alabama did the improbable by reaching the 2017-18 College Football Playoff despite not winning the SEC West or playing in the SEC Championship Game. Georgia did the improbable by beating a traditional SEC rival in the Championship Game after having lost badly to that same team only a week prior.

Both teams did what they were supposed to do in their respective semi-final games. Both were slightly favored going into Monday and both teams won. Alabama dominated a good-but-not-great Clemson team and Georgia beat the media favorite in an overtime shootout.

But there are so many storylines here that in order to cover them all you have to be like Elton John and do a medley at the end.

Georgia hired Kirby Smart away from Alabama following the Tide's 2015 National Championship. In his two seasons leading the Bulldogs, he's posted a 21-6 record and has Georgia poised to play for its first national title since 1980. This is only his second year.

Alabama's Nick Saban is on the cusp of his fifth national title at Alabama and his sixth overall. He hired Kirby during his brief tenure with the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. When Saban shocked everyone not Bleeding Crimson to become Alabama's top dude, Smart came with him and helped Saban craft college football's most feared defense.

That defense was the key in each of Alabama's titles in the 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015 seasons.

But these are just two generals in a border war that stretches beyond the memories of the living and some of the standout games in the series history have been shutouts. In fact, there have been 22 shutouts in the series' 67 games overall, which means that on average one team keeps the other off the scoreboard about once every three times they play.

Alabama recruits heavily in Georgia. Georgia recruits heavily in Alabama.

Alabama vs Georgia has been played in Birmingham, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Columbus, Athens and Atlanta.

They have never played each other with a national title on the line.

Here are a handful of other interesting factlets about Saban and Smart and Alabama vs Georgia:

• Nick Saban is 4-1 against Georgia while at Alabama with the lone loss coming in 2007 in overtime.
• Alabama leads the series 38-25-4
• The teams met for the first time in SEC division play in 1995. Alabama won 31-0.
• Since then, Georgia won three straight followed by Alabama winning three straight.
• Georgia is the first 3 seed in the playoffs to win and advance to the title game.
• Kirby Smart is reaching the title game in only his second year.
• Nick Saban is 11-0 when facing teams coached by former assistants.
• Both teams play a 3-4 Over Under defensive scheme, aimed at stopping the run and forcing passes outside.
• Both teams play a Pro Set offensive scheme, aimed at running the football with play action passing. 
• Georgia is playing for a title in its home state. The last time that happened was in January 2012 when LSU faced and lost to Alabama 21-0.

I think this going to be a classic SEC Slobber Knocker. Both of these opponents beat teams who run trickeration offensive schemes that are too cute by half. The Tide and the Dawgs are not deceptive football teams. They're physical, they're disciplined and they're cold-blooded.

Whoever wins, both teams will get off the turf trying to see the scoreboard through the helmet ear hole.

In-Depth Analysis of Georgia’s Road to the SEC Championship

By: @LivingCrimson

A picture is worth a thousand words.

End of analysis.

The Head Ball Witch summed up the Gamecocks 35-7 win with his usual savoir faire: the Georgia offense "didn't move it very far when they were out there," Steve Spurrier said with a grin.

Mark Richt recapped the game in his best feelings voice: "First of all, the bad news is we took a whipping. The good news is we all took it together. It was a team loss.”

What he really meant to say is that even though the Bulldogs in his tenure are now 2-15 against teams that finish the season ranked (including presumably South Carolina), 10-win easy-schedule seasons and the occasional Division title are good enough. Because doggonit people like him!

Mark Richt has lost control of his seat warmer? Naw … but he has lost control of eggs and toilet paper. There is no yellow brick road for Georgia to the SEC Championship unless Florida manages to beat the Gamecocks, UGA can then pull off a win against the Gators, and the SEC East ends in a three-way tie.

According to the SEC office: "The tied team with the highest ranking in the BCS Standings following the last weekend of regular-season games shall be the divisional representative in the SEC Championship Game, unless the second of the tied teams is ranked within five-or-fewer places of the highest ranked tied team. In this case, the head-to-head results of the top two ranked tied teams shall determine the representative in the SEC Championship Game."

We doubt the wind blows the Dawgs back to that side of the rainbow.

◘ ◘ ◘

Speaking of teams wandering lost in the BCS Oz this season, Alabama fan anthem21 with a tribute to the media’s favorite Smurfs, the Boise State Broncos: Gangnam Style.

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Comments? Hit me up @LivingCrimson on Twitter or Facebook.

UGA player posts rant on Facebook, gets blowback from UGA fan

Posted in its entirety. This is making the rounds on SEC fansites and message boards. Cornelius Washington is an outside linebacker and is expected to play a major role in the Georgia defensive scheme in 2012.

Washington was arrested last season for DUI, and posted this rant in the wake of Isaiah Crowell’s dismissal for a weapons violation.

Helmet tap to @Scog.

UPDATE: Link to “Bobby.”

Cornelius Washington's comments on facebook earlier re: Crowell's troubles and subsequent dismissal:

"'all(of you) think you know so much, but in reality you know nothing. You
don't know what we come from, you don't know our struggles, all you know
is the number on our jersies. 99% of you don't give a crap about us
outside of football. When we're doing well you're all in our faces, when
things get tough and we need encouragement you're nowhere to be found.
You're fake and I despise you for it. We shall band together guys, we've
been working hard and we only need each other. NONE of those outsiders
will contribute to our survival as a team or as individuals, you can
guarantee that.#stickclosetoeachother ~corn washington

Fan replies:

OK Mr.
Corn, I'll bite, what oppressive circumstance that none of us can
possibly understand are you referencing? Are you suggesting that none of
us come from families that struggled to make ends meet? Maybe none of
us were raised by a single parent? Perhaps some of us didn't eat grilled
cheese sandwiches, cheap hot dogs (with no bun), ramen noodles, or
fishsticks for dinner AS A TREAT because we came from an era of economic
recession that makes today's seem tame?

Let me tell you
something you shortsighted little moron, poor when I was a kid meant
something entirely different than it does now.. and we had it good
compared to our parents and grandparents who survived on hope, sunshine,
and tap water...

When I was a kid, I didn't have a video game
system, the TV in the LIVING ROOM was 19 inches of black & white
goodness and it got 4 channels; two of them without adjusting the rabbit
ears every few minutes, and one of those channels was PBS - so Sesame
Street & Mr. Rogers all freaking day. This TV was shared by 4
people, you dig? Hell, I woke up everyday wondering if Russia was going
to nuke our asses for no apparent reason or if I might spontaneously
explode if I didn't wear a condom during sex...

I grew up
listening to Georgia football on the radio - A.M. RADIO! We were lucky
if 4 games were televised a year. I never missed a second of ANY game. I
would sit in a 120 degree car until the final whistle if need be. We
had one telephone, with a cord and it was a rotary that I had to ask
permission to use. I ate in a restaurant 4 or 5 times a year and wore
clothes til they either fell off or I outgrew them. We had 2 window
units in our house and I didn't own a car until I was a senior in high
school - guess who bought it and insured it? Crime was high and if we
wanted to go somewhere during the day, we walked - often many, many
miles. When I started looking for a job, it took 47 applications before I
finally got one - at McDonalds, making $3.35/hour.

I attended
shitty Georgia Public schools that were UN-air-conditioned (you may find
it hard to believe, but it actually used to get hot back in the 70s and
80s... who knew?) I played high school football in the era where
coaches only let us drink water once per practice, before there were
limitations on when we could start practicing each year, so we practiced
all summer if we wanted to start. My helmet had straps inside, not pads
- and spearing, clothesline tackles, horse collar tackles, head slaps,
and taking cheap shots @ wide recievers & quarterbacks was not only
legal, but expected... I've never run a 4.4, never benched 500 lbs and
never been visited by a college coach. I paid my own way to college and
worked at Pizza Hut wearing brown polyester for 40 hours a week while
attending a full load of classes.

My family is full of nuts, my
neighborhood kind of sucked, and so did my prospects. I would have
killed to have worn the red & black, just to run onto the field and
stand on the GOD DAMN SIDELINE - ONCE. When I screwed up and got a DUI,
no one came to bail me out, I went to court alone, paid my fine, did my
community service and dealt with it. It sucked, but I figured I learned
that was probably something I shouldn't do again... So that I could
afford my DUI fine, I went without electricity and and gas for a summer,
which meant the only 2 things that worked in my house were the door
lock and the toilet... I ate white bread and canned mushrooms for many
weeks in a row because that's what the gas station on the corner had.
When I was feeling fancy, I'd buy eggs or *gasp* Chef Boyardee
Ravioli...

So now, here we are.. one of your poor downtrodden
teammates has suffered unjustly from some heretofor unknown boogey man
that clearly has stacked the deck against him. Nevermind that 3/4s of
the state would have loaned him their car and put him up for the night
after he decided to stay in state and play for dear old UGA. Nevermind
that 65% of the state forgave him the 1st 4 or 5 times he failed a drug
test, acted like a petulant little bitch about school or classwork, came
out of every game that an opponent busted him in his little bitch assed
mouth, and generally acted like a little dreadlocked flower with all of
the toughness of a three legged kitten, possessing the smarts of a
window licking retard with water on the brain...

So now he's
taken to driving around with the next generation of UGA players with a
gun that apparently isn't his and lo & behold, the serial number has
been removed ( a Federal Offense that carries a penalty of 2-10 year in
the joint). But it's clearly not his fault, I mean.. how could it be,
he's been a model citizen since he left Columbus and arrived on the big
stage. Every gesture, every nuance would lead the dispassionate
bystander to the opinion that this just COULDN'T POSSIBLY be IC1's gun!

What
the f__ is the matter with you morons? I was around when Frank Ros and
the boys stole a pig before the 1980 season.. I was aware of the entire
defense getting suspended before playing Miami of Ohio in the Tangerine
Bowl ( a game I watched on that black & white TV - we lost as a
result in spite of being heavily favored), hell I even vaaaguely
remember some of the expoilts of Jake Scott... Every one of those guys
was punished in some way that made them want to die & then they
contritely returned to the team, better men for it. (Well, except for
Scott who told Dooley to f___ off and went to play in Canada before
becoming a Super Bowl MVP eventually.. but he didn't whine like a
freaking bitch that nobody understood **sniff**, **sob**, and besides,
I'm pretty sure Jake Scott could kill any one of you just by yelling).

How
did your boy IC1 fare after his 6 or 7 chances? Your little boy brains
need to catch up to your full grown man bodies before you find
yourselves hanging off the back of a trash collection truck IF YOU'RE
LUCKY! You're blessed with health, superior athletic ability, and keen
minds.. every advantage possible. Free school, a huge support system,
the adulation of fans everywhere.. and somehow, we just don't
understand? Understand what, that you're a freaking moron? That some of
you waste these gifts and then whine like a bitch because instead of
giving you a 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th chance we dare wonder what'n the hell
is the matter with you?

I suppose instead I should EXPECT YOU
TO FAIL? Then I would understand, right? Are you idiots eating lead
paint sandwiches between all the bong hits you're apparently doing? Be a
freaking man and own up to your situation. It's not everyone else's
fault, the quicker that takes root in your addled brain the better. Take
the gifts that are given you - the OBVIOUS advantages the wheel of
fortune has allowed you to enjoy and make something out of yourself.. or
disappear into oblivion (preferably quietly, lest we think you are an
even bigger idiot than you have led us to believe already).

I hope your dad is en route to Athens to kick you in the ass (because I
doubt our candy- assed coach will), you need it ... Your Pal, Bobby

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Alabama stud running back Kenyan Drake dishes about Nick Saban

By: @LivingCrimson

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution is at it again. Alabama pulled another top player out of Georgia and the Atlanta paper doesn’t like it. In a Q&A session with the AJC Super 11 running back, Michael Carvell uses leading questions in an attempt to create controversy.

However, the Alabama signee turns the tables and gives positive reviews about Alabama recruiting, then blames turmoil at Georgia for his going out of state. To spare everyone a frustrating click, here are highlights from the article.

• Even though Drake was a lifelong Georgia fan, UGA was not an option for him because of the program’s instability.

“With everything going [on] at Georgia and all the speculation about Coach Richt, and then realizing the stability at Alabama — it wasn’t a hard decision, at that point.”

• Nick Saban visited his school, which really impressed Drake. Even more importantly, Alabama was the only school to make a home visit.

“Coach Saban … really wanted to come over and talk football, and explain his expectations both on and off the field. It wasn’t like any big family gathering but more like a business meeting.”

• Drake really enjoys being around Kirby Smart.

“[He] is the funniest coach I’ve ever been around. He’s real laid back and down to Earth. You can talk to him about anything, whether it be school, football, or your girlfriend. He will have a conversation with you because he’s that cool and that’s type of person.”

• When questioned about which school’s coach is the “nicest,” of course it wasn’t Saban. Drake goes on to clarify that Saban is more businesslike than buddy-buddy.

“Well, I wouldn’t say not the nicest, but I would have to say Coach Saban. But I’m not saying he was not the nicest. He’s really straight forward. You know what I mean? I’m not saying he’s mean but I’m not saying he’s ‘buddy buddy’ with you either. He’s very businesslike. … And he gives it to you like this, and if it’s not like this, then there’s no other way.”

“At first, he can be intimidating because of the things you read or hear about him. And with his personality, he’s very straight forward. He tells you like it is. But once you get to really know him, it’s different. The chance I got to spend with Coach Saban and his wife during my visit … we got to joke around and have a couple of laughs. You know, people that aren’t really that close to him, or haven’t been in those type of situations, they wouldn’t really understand because they see him as being straight forward. Once you get to see the man, the husband Coach Saban is and the father Coach Saban is, you really get to see what type of person he is.”

• What do you think it will be like to play for a guy that many consider to be college football’s best coach?

“It’s like you really don’t want to disappoint him. You see how hard he works and how prepared he is, day in and day out, to be the best at what he’s doing. He’s a very good role model. Once you see everything he’s accomplished and trying to accomplish, it’s almost like all that success is going to rub off on you. Because Coach Saban is your coach, you’re definitely going to strive to be the best you can be, regardless.”

Chalk up another good get for Coach Saban and the Alabama recruiting staff. In his senior season, Drake rushed for 1,610 yards on 173 carries and scored 18 rushing touchdowns. He was also effective in the receiving game — hauling in 24 passes for 315 yards and five touchdowns — and special teams where he returned 10 kickoffs for 355 yards and two touchdowns. A grand total of 2,280 total yards and 25 touchdowns, which earned him the 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Georgia. Hillgrove High School won a regional title and finished 10-0 in the regular season for the first time.

Kenyan Drake will arrive on the Alabama campus on May 27th, after his high school graduation. It will be interesting to see the 6-1 204 pound Drake compete for playing time against 6-2 210 pound T.J. Yeldon in Fall camp.

Comments are always welcome. Hit me up on Twitter or Facebook.

Hot Potato! UGA Soccer player tries stealing hash browns by stuffing them in her britches

We all know the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is good for a laugh or three every day. But this is worthy of Leap Day Story of the Internet.

Carli Shultis, a women’s soccer player, was arrested on February 21 at the Bulldog Cafe on campus for attempting to steal an order of hash browns by stuffing them in her pants.

The Red & Black student newspaper obtained a copy of the police report. According to the paper, one of the food services worker saw Shultis try to steal the taters and detained her on the spot.

She was arrested and taken to jail.

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Shultis admitted to a police officer that she had stuffed the hashbrowns in her pants to avoid paying for them, the Red & Black reported.

Shultis also told police that she had enough money to pay for the hashbrowns, which were valued at $1.06, the paper said.

The police report also stated that Shultis removed the hashbrowns from her pants and tried to put them back on the food counter when she realized she'd been spotted.

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Eww.

Exit question: What the hell is so good about Bulldog Cafe hashbrowns that would make such a charming and talented young lady go rogue?

Helmet tap to @BSBHVR2
 
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Georgia makes early run at 2012 Fulmer Cup

Two days after National Signing Day, Georgia coach Mark Richt has dismissed three players for violations of team rules. DB Nick Marshall, WR Sanford Seay and DB Chris Sanders have been dismissed from the team.

All were freshmen. Two of the players—Marshall and Seay—have been accused of attempting to steal money from the dorm room of a teammate. There is no indication that Sanders was involved in the incident.

Georgia had a relatively quiet offseason in 2011 after pulling in a consensus Top 5 recruiting class, with few off-the-field distractions.

2012 isn’t shaping up that way.

In fact, going into National Signing Day, Georgia was locked in a three-way tie for first place in the annual Fulmer Cup race. With today’s developments, expect the standings to show Georgia and Mark Richt in sole possession of first place and the early favorite to take home the plastic.

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Bama Loves ‘Em Some Iowa State

By: @LivingCrimson

Roll, Cyclones, Roll!  Bama is back in the BCS picture.

Unranked Iowa State upset #2 Oklahoma State 37-31 in double overtime Friday night. The Clones showed up with some gutsy offensive playcalling, a defense that forced five turnovers, and a big storm of BCS chaos.

As Michael Casagrande reported, the Tide’s LT Barrett Jones tweeted “Absolute mayhem in Hotel Capstone. Everyone in the halls hugging each other. Now WE control our destiny!”

One UofA student tweeted “Heard all the people from the RV's in the parking lot cheering from 7 floors up in my room!! #IOWASTATE #ROLLTIDE”.

What does all this mean for Bama’s chances to make the BCS national championship game, or the SEC championship game for that matter?

Logically Alabama will move up to #2 and obviously must win its two remaining regular season games against Georgia Southern and #24 Auburn. Dominating those opponents and winning convincingly would be the best way for the Tide to maintain a #2 BCS rank. If Bama were to fall below second place, any chance for the BCS National Championship Game would be lost.

The last BCS rankings to determine the #1 and #2 teams will be released the Sunday after the SEC Championship Game. Which teams stand between the Crimson Tide and the crystal trophy?

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LSU

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#1 LSU and #11 Houston now stand as the lone undefeateds in the BCS Top 25. Conference USA Houston’s signature win is UCLA, so not much chance of advancement for the Cougars unless several teams ahead of them crash and burn over the next three weeks.

To finish out the regular season, LSU must face Ole Miss today and Arkansas next week. Les Miles has never had an undefeated season in his head coaching career and has lost two of his last three games versus Bobby Petrino’s Hogs. If LSU fell to Arkansas, the SEC West would have a three-way tie between Alabama, Arkansas and LSU. In that event, the SEC rules for divisional tie-breaker would determine the team to advance to the SEC Championship Game.

For Bama to be the SEC West team in Atlanta:

1. LSU must fall below both Alabama and Arkansas in the BCS rankings;
2. Alabama and Arkansas must stay within five rankings of each other for the head-to-head results to kick in;
3. By virtue of Alabama’s win over Arkansas, the Tide would advance to the SEC title game.

If LSU beats Arkansas, then Bama’s route to New Orleans will depend on the rise and fall of several other teams.

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Oklahoma

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#5 Oklahoma and #4 Oregon are tied in the BCS computer rankings. The human polls moved Oregon ahead of Oklahoma in just the last week. However, Oklahoma faces three tough games to finish out the regular season (#22 Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma State), which should restore Oklahoma’s lead over Oregon if the Sooners win out.

In fact, an Oklahoma win over Baylor and then Iowa State (which beat #2 Oklahoma State) will likely be enough to move the Sooners ahead of Alabama in the polls. A win over Oklahoma State would probably make the lead ironclad.

There is no longer a Big 12 conference championship game, but that fact should not affect the strength of schedule for the Sooners this year.

If LSU wins out the regular season and the SEC title game, my expectation would be to see Oklahoma in the BCS championship game.

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Oregon

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#4 Oregon faces two remaining regular season games, at home today against USC and next week against Oregon State. USC spoiled #4 Stanford’s chances at the BCS title game. An Oregon win over the Trojans will probably keep the Ducks ahead of Oklahoma in the polls for another week, but not be enough of a boon to keep Oregon ahead for the duration if Oklahoma wins its remaining games.

Chip Kelly has won both matches versus Oregon State in his tenure. The rivalry is intense though and the outcome is never certain. If Oregon loses to Oregon State, it would still advance to the Pac-12 championship game by virtue of its win over Stanford. However, if the Ducks lose to USC and Oregon State, then Stanford would advance to the Pac-12 game.

If Oregon wins out and advances to the Pac-12 conference game, it will face UCLA or Arizona State (or an outside chance of Utah) (USC the leader cannot advance due to NCAA sanctions). UCLA is currently in the catbird seat to advance, and there’s the rub. If UCLA defeats Oregon in the Pac-12 title game, then the Bruins defeat by Houston in the regular season comes into play in the BCS rankings. The BCS would probably move Houston up to Oregon’s spot in the top 5.

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Clemson

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#7 Clemson and #8 Virginia Tech are longshots to be considered for the BCS championship game. Clemson’s most likely opponent in the ACC conference championship game will be Virginia Tech. If Clemson beats North Carolina State today, #12 South Carolina next week and then Virginia Tech, the Tigers have the most opportunity to advance into the top 5 of the polls. If LSU wins out in the regular season and the SEC title game, AND Oklahoma and Oregon lose in a big way, Clemson potentially could advance over Alabama into the #2 spot if the human polls don’t want to see a Bama-LSU rematch.

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Georgia

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#14 Georgia has two regular season games left, at home today versus Kentucky and next week at Georgia Tech. Assuming a win over Kentucky, Georgia will represent the SEC East in the SEC Championship Game.

If Georgia beats LSU in Atlanta, it’s highly unlikely Alabama would have any chance to make the BCS title game unless the other one-loss contenders failed in key games before December 3rd. Too many questions about the Tide’s “quality” opponents would prevent the human polls from keeping Bama in the top 2.

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Playoffs

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The camp supporting a playoff system in college football would probably like to see an Alabama-LSU rematch to boost its argument against the BCS system. My co-blogger @GulfCoastTider has an excellent article about the 2013 demise of the current bowl structure.

Depending on the strength of this view, the human polls could conceivably keep Bama in the #2 spot in the rankings despite any outcomes in the other one-loss team games. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the Tide boasts a Heisman contender in Trent Richardson and the best defense in college football in 25 years.

All of the above is conjecture and can change rapidly over the next three weeks. The Tide must continue to focus on the things it can control, win its games and let the season speak for itself. And continue to carry the torch for the little team that could, the Iowa State Cyclones.

More Bama updates on Twitter @LivingCrimson

SEC Gameday Snarks

By: @LivingCrimson

Derek Dooley’s custom tailored orange pants were a big hit on Rocky Top. Vols fans flocked to local clothing stores looking for similar menswear. Alas, no such luck. Dooley imported the custom fabric and there was only enough material to make one pair of pants.

In an exclusive scoop, we have managed to locate Dooley’s tailors. We’re certain there are other orange fabrics if you find life too dull without a pair of bright orange pants. The tailors can be contacted in care of the Y.M.C.A., Knoxville, TN.

 

Despite intense media pressure, Mark Richt is not acknowledging the heat of his seat. He even joked and laughed at his post-Boise State press conference.

Georgia has been focused in its preparation for the South Carolina game today and the Dawgs are feeling hopeful because … it’s the Gamecocks.

We think Richt might be putting on a good game face, though. We’ve obtained exclusive footage of his mindset last night before the big game.

Nightmare on Richt Street

 

And last but not least, the coach who avows to Jon Gruden his offense is NFL-ready … Gene Chizik. Auburn faces a tough challenge today, but we’re confident the professional playcalling will once again bring the game right down to the wire.

Dan Mullen has no comment.

Simplistic

Costly Hot Seats: Richt and Nutt would be owed millions

Neither of the current SEC Hot Seat occupants did anything to cool the talk their exits from the SEC coaching fraternity. Ole Miss’ Houston Nutt laid an egg at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, blowing a 13 point lead in a five minute span of the fourth quarter. This was the program’s second consecutive season opening loss. Georgia’s Mark Richt’s team looked uninspired and unmotivated in a 35-21 drubbing by perennial Cinderella Boise State, a team that had never beaten an SEC opponent.

The two schools’ fans took to message boards, Twitter, Facebook and talk radio to vent their frustrations and calls for heads to roll easily drowned out those calling for patience. But should the two administrations decide that changes are necessary, expect the price to be steep.

Last fall, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution estimated Richt’s buyout to be on the order of about $5 million. Add in the cost of any replacement’s first year’s salary—let’s say $3.0 million assuming they get an already established head coach—and UGA faithful had better hope that the braintrust is making the right decision. The round figure of $8.0 million doesn’t take into account any contractual obligations to assistant coaches, so $8.0 million might even be quite conservative.

Last May, the Jackson Clarion-Ledger estimated Nutt’s buyout to be even sweeter. Nutt would get $6.0 million if there are three or more years remaining on his contract. Again, throw in another $3.0 million to attract a top-drawer replacement and $9.0 million is the conservative estimate.

If the season is dreadful enough for Ole Miss and Georgia, there’s little doubt that two new coaches enter the brotherhood next year. Losing football programs in the SEC are budget busters. Ticket sales drop off. Concessions dry up. Donations dwindle. Even enrollment suffers. So while a conservative estimate of $17.0 million is a staggering sum to replace the two SEC veterans, when faced with fiscal losses that drag out for two or more years the schools may decide that they have no choice but to pull out the checkbook.

Exit Question: What if Nutt and Richt go miracle maker and meet in Atlanta for the SEC Title? Not bloody likely, but coming close to that outcome might be the thing that saves them and ensures that the two programs are stuck in mediocrity for years to come.

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Kirby Smart, or Gus Malzahn?

A caller on WNSP 105.5’s Sports Drive yesterday afternoon had an interesting question for show hosts Pat Greenwood and Randy Kennedy. The basis for the question was the assumption that the Georgia Bulldogs have a subpar season (again) in 2011, leading to the departure of Mark Richt and a coveted opening at one of the big schools of the SEC.

It’s just as likely that Ole Miss lays an egg in 2011 and the Right Reverend Houston Nutt is shown the door. I didn’t hear whether Greenwood and Kennedy addressed a possible opening at Ole Miss, but even before these two teams face stiff nonconference opponents—BYU visits Oxford and Boise State travels to Atlanta—I see the odds at better than even that at least one of them will be in the market for a new head coach about four months from now.

The question: If you’re an SEC school looking for a head coach, do you hire an up-and-coming assistant and if so, which of the two most talked about assistants in the SEC do you go after: Alabama’s Kirby Smart, or Auburn’s Gus Malzahn?

For me, the answer is Gus Malzahn and it’s not even close.

Bulldog fans would likely stage a partial revolt if Athletics Director Greg McGarity tapped Malzahn over Smart, a Georgia alumnus and Broyles Award winning assistant coach. But if you’re looking to add excitement and pizzazz to what’s been a moribund football program over the last several seasons, Malzahn is the no-brainer.

Bama’s Kirby Smart is ready to be a head coach, too. His career includes stops at Georgia, Valdosta State, Florida State, LSU, the Miami Dolphins and Alabama. The LSU, Dolphins and Bama stints have all been with Nick Saban, arguably the best head coach in college football today. Saban has disciples coaching at Florida, Florida State and Tennessee in the SEC and Michigan State in the Big Ten. Clearly, Smart’s resume is right and he’ll be a solid head coach wherever he decides to plant his flag. But he’ll be a first-timer in the corner office.

Malzahn has been a head coach, and while it was at the high school level, he transformed programs from also-rans to offensive powerhouses. He knows how to run an organization. He’s won everywhere he’s been when he’s allowed free rein over the team’s offense. He took a woefully thin, talent-starved 5-7 2008 Auburn team and transformed it into one of the most productive attacks in the SEC. In 2009, Auburn won eight games and had undefeated Alabama on the ropes until the fourth quarter in the Iron Bowl. Few people can make chicken salad out of chicken scat like Malzahn did that year. And 14-0 last year wasn’t bad either, was it?

Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated called Malzahn “one of the sport's most innovative offensive minds, not just in the college ranks, but in all of football.” Mandel wrote that line in October 2009, getting on the Malzie bandwagon before it was trendy.

Both Malzahn and Smart are recruiting machines. Both are disciplined, experienced coaches who have won at the highest level in college football. Smart’s implementation of the Saban school of defense is crisp, physical and absolutely ferocious. But Malzahn’s offense is his offense.

Auburn faces an absolutely brutal schedule in 2011. They have away games at Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU and Georgia. They will likely be underdogs in every one of them, and are likely underdogs hosting both Florida and Alabama. They have a wealth of young talent but a dearth of experience and senior leadership. If they can fashion an eight- or nine-win season out of that slate, it will be because Malzahn worked his magic on the offensive side of the ball and his stock will be sky high.

Smart would be a good choice for almost any program. But if Gus Malzahn is available and I’m shopping for a coach, I’m going with the wizard.

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