Saints End Season 7-9, Who Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda Thunk It?

The season was just so ... pregnant with possibilities: Brees, Payton, Colston, Bush, Duece, playoffs, Super Bowl.
Dud.
That's what the season was, a dud.
The execution and playcalling that was so excellent and easy-looking in 2006 was mucky, sloppy for the 2007 campaign. Nothing summed up the season more than the botched Reggie Bush-to-Devery Henderson reverse on a crucial need-to-run-the-clock-out third down that cost the Saints a game against Tampa Bay. Or maybe it was the relentless inability of free agent bust cornerback Jason David to play even decent defense on man to man coverage. Who shoulda, woulda, coulda thought that David's best play would be the fumble return for TD in the first quarter of the first game of the season?
Surely the loss of running back Duece McAllister hurt them more than they thought.
"You understand when you lose a player like him you are going to change," Payton said. "Now you're asking the quarterback to drop back in no huddle and empty, playing from behind on the road. Last year we were able to get Deuce going in the second half, which kept the defense off the field. When you don't have that, it's harder to play good defense."
Still, looking at the numbers, Drew Brees set a team record for TDs in a season, and a league record for completions and will likely go to Hawaii as a reserve in the Pro Bowl. Not bad for a qb that at one point in the year had 1 TD to 11 interceptions.


"Seven-and-9 is a losing season," said Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who set one NFL record for completions in a season, set two team records (touchdown passes and yards in a season) and tied another club mark with 60 pass attempts in the game. "No one wants a losing season. This is very, very disappointing."
"There were ups and there were downs, there were good times and there were bad times," said defensive tackle Hollis Thomas. "You never want your season to end like this."

Said Brees: "We really felt one of the other teams would slip up and we'd be in (the playoffs). It didn't work out."
It worked out for Colston, who was snubbed by the Pro Bowl voters even though he numbers were better than most receivers.


"It's different," Payton said. "Different teams, different circumstances. An NFC championship game and 7-9. It's an irony that the season ended here, but we've got a lot of work ahead of us.
"The things that keep you from winning games came up, and it's a thing that hurt us in our losses this season," Coach Sean Payton said. "We had lots of big plays over our head, big plays in the kicking game. We lost that battle."
"It's been a rocky roller coaster," center Jeff Faine said. "I just didn't feel like we ever maintained our momentum for the year."
Momentum is something Reggie Bush didn't even smell this year: No flips into the end zone this year, not even any solid blocks. His numbers testify to his ineffectiveness this year. Of course, most of it can be blamed on the coaches' inability to utilize him effectively, but maybe Kim Kardashian has had a Jessica Simpson-like effect on him, who knows.


"We start this offseason with free agency and the draft and that's where our focus is going to be: on improving this team and getting ourselves back into the postseason next year where we belong."

Ohio State Fan Disses Florida, as LSU Awaits (Video)

Hawaii Practices At Sugar Bowl 12/29/07 (video)

Georgia Bulldogs Practice At SugarBowl 12/29/07 (video)

Victory at Bears Is Last Hope For Saints

Okay, Saints, you MUST beat the Bears.
You must.
It wasn't that long ago, in a driving snow, that New Orleans struck fear in the most sturdy of Chicago fans: Reggie Bush took a swing pass, swerved past one defender and sped into the end zone and pulling the Saints to within two points in last year's playoffs.
Speaking of the P-word, the Saints (7-8) can still get back to the playoffs as a wild card if they win and both the Redskins and Vikings lose later in the day, but the Bears (6-9) were eliminated from playoff contention two games ago.
It’s a rematch of last year’s NFC title game, but neither the Saints nor the Bears are headed back to the game. The Bears come off an upset win, while the Saints come off an upset home loss to the Eagles as a disappointing season closes out.
As New Orleans heads to the Windy City, they have gameplanned to watch Bears kick returner Devin Hester.

“You have to pay attention to what he can do — he can single-handedly change a game,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “There’s no question that he’s one of the best return guys that this game has seen. From a return standpoint, it’s been a while since this league has had someone of his magnitude.”
Hester has 11 returns for touchdowns in 34 NFL games. As a rookie last season he set an NFL record with six returns for touchdowns — three punts, two kickoffs, and a field goal. He became the first player in NFL history to return the opening kickoff of a Super Bowl for a TD.
The guys responsible for covering the Saints’ kickoffs and punts know they have to get to Hester as fast as they can, surround him, and be disciplined in their tackling.
“You can either not kick it to him, or if you kick it to him, you just have to be sound in your coverage,” safety Kevin Kaesviharn said. “You try and play the way you’ve been taught to play, the techniques you’ve been taught to play, and that should take care of it.
“I think in that situation, if you do kick it to him, you need to have everyone running to the ball because he’s a guy that can make you miss and obviously he’s got 11 touchdowns already, and it’s his second season. He’s pretty darn good.”

Hawaii, Georgia Players Take Sip Of New Orleans

"This is a great group of kids and I am not worried we are going to do anything we would be ashamed of," Hawaii coach June Jones said Thursday.
And with that his Hawaii Warriors, set to take on the up-the-street Georgia Bulldogs on Jan. 1, descended on the Crescent City. "It's OK with me to let them experience something they may never get to experience again," Jones said.

Curfew had been established, but so had rites of passage during the season. The players know that nothing stupid must take place - even on Bourbon Street.
"I've been trying to prepare these players for the media and the hype surrounding a game of this magnitude," Jones said after arriving at Louis S. Armstrong International Airport. "It's going to be a Super Bowl-like atmosphere. I don't think they have any idea what they're getting into."
Jones' team got a bit of a taste when they were greeted by a brass band, per Sugar Bowl tradition, as they disembarked from the plane.
Wide receiver Ryan Grice-Mullen said he's been to New Orleans once - when he was in first grade.
"I've heard about Bourbon Street, so maybe we'll check it out," Grice-Mullen said. "I don't think my parents took me there. We went to see some of the Mardi Gras, but it was during the day. I guess that's the kiddie Mardi Gras."
"To be able to go to the Sugar Bowl every other year would be pretty exciting," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said. "We've been able to do that the last six years. It's so good to be back here and see the city up and running again.
"We probably have more coaches' kids here than we have players. The families will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy themselves."

Buckeyes' Wells Talks Smack About LSU Defense

"I think if you really look at the film, teams could run on LSU," said Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells said. "So I really wouldn't say that's (one) of their strengths."
Wow.
Teams could run on LSU.
That's what he said. By that, I think he means Arkansas' Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. And to be sure, LSU allowed more yards on the ground in its last three games (680) than it had through the first 10 (660).
After 10 games, the Tigers' defense was allowing 66 rushing yards per game. Only two teams had rushed for more than 100 yards, while four other opponents were limited to 20 rushing yards or less.
But Wells is basically saying he'll get a buck and change against a rested, returned-to-form LSU defense.
Now, that's guts.
Nevertheless, Wells is fed up of hearing about how the Buckeyes can't keep up with LSU.
"I'm tired of people talking about how Ohio State has no speed," he said. "Of course I feel like we don't get the respect that we deserve. We're the underdogs in this game. But it's just something we have to take in stride."

Wells was named the team MVP after leading the Big Ten in carries with 254 and ranking third in yards with 1,463.
But while he had a superb game against Michigan (see stat box) he'll likely have a game similar to what he did against Illinois. Seriously. That's no diss, that's just what will likely happen. But i'll give it to Wells, he played the entire season with a broken bone in his left hand and an ankle injury since spring.
So, he's tough, but he's no McFadden, so don't look for those type numbers against Dorsey and Co.

LSU Gets 3 Offensive Stars Back Against Buckeyes

Les has got all the Gatorade out of his ears.
He's done with his turkey, maybe even tucked away the gifts by now.
Now, it's back to football.
At practice Friday, LSU coach Les Miles said that quarterback Matt Flynn and running backs Keiland Williams and Trindon Holliday all practiced well. All three were either limited or missed SEC Championship Game with various injuries.
“All three went through the entire practice and played well,” Miles said. “(Matt) threw several balls today that were thrown as well as any balls he has ever thrown.”
"I feel good," said Flynn, who separated his right (throwing) shoulder in the Nov. 23 loss to Arkansas. "I've been throwing a lot in practice. I'm not throwing every pass in practice, but I'm getting back into the swing and throwing well.
"It's not hurting that much anymore. It's getting a lot better each day. I'll be doing everything in the next day or so."
Flynn confirmed that he is also fully recovered from an early season ankle injury.
"My legs feel good, my feet feel good," Flynn said. "I feel I'm going to be 100 percent in the next couple of days.
"Right now I'm feeling as healthy as I have. I'm not wearing the ankle brace anymore, for the first time since the Virginia Tech game."
The Tigers are preparing to face an Ohio State team that has posted an 11-1 overall mark and has the best defense in the nation in terms of yards and points allowed. As a unit, Ohio State’s defense is allowing 10.7 points and 225 yards per contest.

Two players that the Tiger offense will look at to make a difference against the Buckeyes are running back Jacob Hester and wide receiver Early Doucet. H while
Miles was also licking his chops at having a healthy Jacob Hester and Early Doucet, both of which were gimpy late in the season.
“Early and Jacob mean so much to this team,” Miles said. Hester has rushed for 1,017 yards and 11 touchdowns. “Jacob is tremendously competitive, and he’s a guy who has an eye for making a play. Whether it’s a block, carry, reception or special teams play, he has been in the middle of it," Miles said.
Doucet has caught 50 passes for 474 yards and five scores.
“Early gives us great leadership with tremendous ability. I can tell you that we are looking forward to having both of these guys on the field for this game.”

Why Hawaii vs. UGA May Mean More To College Football Than LSU-OSU

Why? Because the mighty SEC champion LSU knows it can beat the Big Ten's national championship representative for the second year in a row, The Ohio State Buckeyes. But deep down we all know the age-old philosophical debate, who's conference is better, won't die down after the national championship game, no, it'll just reload. But the Hawaii vs. UGA game will truly be seen as a more satisfying answer to the hottest part of the question above: Can an undefeated team that didn't play anybody whip a battle-tested SEC team in a bowl game?
Colt Brennan and the Hawaii receivers will surely test the Bulldog secondary, but what has worked so well for the SEC against non-conference teams for years, speed, will be the deciding factor. If Hawaii wins this game (and they go undefeated???) the flood gates will open up, rightly so, and the issue of strength-of-schedule will be effectively thrown out the window. Think of the App States of the world that will thoroughly reject playing the Michigans of the world because frankly they'll be able to "get there" just by winning against lesser competition. Think also about the Michigans of the world that flatly won't schedule the non-conference toughies because they could prance to the title game without them on the schedule, frankly. So, see, in a philosophical way, this Georgia vs. Hawaii game speaks to the core of the college football debate. And it will be interesting if the Bulldogs will embarass, squeak by, barely lose, or get blown out by Hawaii. In the meantime, Go Bulldogs!

How Could Pro Bowl Voters Sleep On Colston?

Saints wide receiver Marques Colston is not going to the Pro Bowl.
How that could happen is like trying to figure out that reverse two weeks ago against Tampa Bay with less than 4 minutes remaining in the game.
Colston didn't just have a good season, he's had, like,a MONSTER season. He leads the NFC in catches; even though the other teams have big-time quarterbacks like Brett Favre, and Tony Romo.
Colston was bypassed by Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Dallas' Terrell Owens, St. Louis' Tory Holt and Green Bay's Donald Driver.
Donald Driver? He's got only 2 touchdowns.
Tory Holt?
But I digress, Chad JOhnson and Brandon Marshall didn't make it either, despit being No. 4 and No. 7 in the league in receiving yards. How can Chad Johnson NOT make it?
Sounds like the fix to me.

LSU Not Taking Buckeyes Lightly

Phone call from SEC coaches to LSU: "DON'T PHONE IT IN!"
LSU has come all the way up the mountain, at the cusp of a second national title in 5 years, and LSU knows that the league is depending on them.
As the season wore on, injuries to key players mounted and the gap between the Tigers and their opponents closed, especially during a string of matchups against other bowl-bound Southeastern Conference foes. There were narrow victories over Florida, Auburn and Alabama. There were triple-overtime losses to Kentucky and Arkansas. LSU also needed a second-half comeback in its 21-14 victory over Tennessee in the SEC championship game.
Top-ranked Ohio State is a six-point dog to LSU in the BCS Championship. Illinois is on the wrong end of a 14-point spread for its Rose Bowl date with USC. Florida is picked to beat Michigan in the Capital One Bowl, Tennessee over Wisconsin in the Outback, Boston College over Michigan State in the Champs Sports and Oklahoma State over Indiana in the Insight.
The Tigers (11-2) expect key players to be in much better shape by the time the BCS championship game against Ohio State (11-1) kicks off on Jan. 7.
"I know that the lineup shuffles a little bit that way at the end of the year where you've had to play week after week versus quality opponents and it takes its toll," LSU coach Les Miles said Monday, his team's first day at practice after a couple weeks off for final exams.
"There's no question that at some point in time, teams are more healthy and less healthy and it's a testimony to our football team that we win two games with our second-team quarterback. A number of times, our (starting) defensive line is on the sidelines watching and yet this football team finds a way to win," Miles said. "We'll certainly enjoy the rest. We'll certainly improve our health. We're looking forward to returning to freshness, if you will."
Not since 2002, when the Big Ten went 5-2 in a bowl season that included Ohio State’s win over Miami in the BCS Championship, has the conference finished above .500 in the postseason. Last year’s 2-5 mark, punctuated by Michigan’s blowout loss to USC in the Rose Bowl and Ohio State’s debacle against Florida in the BCS Championship, capped a three-year run of futility in which the league posted the worst bowl record of any BCS conference.
One of the most significant injuries involved All-American defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who played the second half of the season with a sprained right knee. Dorsey was injured on an illegal chop-block against Auburn.
LSU was fortunate to have the next weekend off and Dorsey didn't miss a game, although he was not the same. His ability to explode into the backfield appeared diminished and his role appeared to shift to plugging holes in the line on running plays.
"Injuries do that," LSU defensive tackle Marlon Favorite said. "I'm sure he wanted to rush and push to his full extent, but due to his injury he couldn't, so in his mind he was thinking, 'I have to do what I can.' He did that well."
Dorsey finished as LSU's third-leading tackler with 64 stops, including six sacks and 11.5 tackles for losses. He won a trophy case-full of SEC and national awards.
Dorsey said LSU's defense is eager to send a message of how well it can play when key players are all fresh.
"We're real excited. Everybody started talking down on us when we started giving up points on defense," Dorsey said. "We tried not to listen to that because, I mean, nobody knows what's going on in our locker room. So for us to have an opportunity to be healthy, we can come out and do what we're supposed to do and do what we know how to do."
On offense, LSU's top wide receiver, Early Doucet, was sidelined for most of five games with a groin injury. Starting quarterback Matt Flynn missed an early season start with an ankle sprain and the SEC championship game with a shoulder injury.
Backup quarterback Ryan Perrilloux won both starts in Flynn's absence, but if Perrilloux plays against Ohio State, it will be more by design than necessity.
"A lot of our guys were nicked up. That's the fact of the matter and everyone knows that," said Favorite, who played through injuries to both ankles this season. "You give us time to rest and get back on our feet? This is my first time ever dealing with injuries like this and I feel better already."

Brad Pitt Gets Mad Love From New Orleans, Making It Right

We just can't get over The Storm.
We just can't.
Brad Pitt: "These are people who did everything right, according to the American dream. They got jobs and they saved their money. They bought homes. They raised their kids in these communities. And it's all been wiped out, wiped out, and they are in this state of limbo and it is dismal."
The pink houses, the art installation, right now symbolically represents the destruction and the chaos after the storm and which continues today. ... We chose pink because it screams loud. We want to get attention and to say that we can actually turn this around.
And we're asking people to join in with us on this "Adopt a House" campaign. We're asking foundations, corporations. I would love to see church groups, individuals, come in and adopt a house, adopt 10 houses, adopt 100 houses, adopt a corner of a house, adopt a solar panel, adopt a tree -- whatever you're comfortable with.
For every $150,000 that comes in, I guarantee a family will be returning to their home, and not just any affordable home, but a home that's intelligent, that respects your hard-earned money, that respects your health and respects the health of the environment.
Mr. Pitt said he had been attached to New Orleans for more than a decade. “I’ve always had a fondness for this place — it’s like no other,” he said. “Seeing the frustration firsthand made me want to return the kindness this city has shown me.”
Rather than bemoan the slow pace of redevelopment in the Ninth Ward, Mr. Pitt said he decided to address the problem directly by teaming with William McDonough, the green design expert; Graft, a Los Angeles architecture firm; and Cherokee, an investment firm based in Raleigh, N.C., that specializes in sustainable redevelopment. John Williams of New Orleans is the executive architect for the project.
“If you have this blank slate and this great technology out there, what better test than low-income housing?” Mr. Pitt said. “It’s got to work at all levels to really be viable.”

When Make It Right was announced at the meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in September, Mr. Pitt pledged to match $5 million in contributions to the project, as did Steve Bing, the philanthropist. Nine other firms — all of whom donated their services — are involved, including Adjaye Associates; Billes Architecture; BNIM Architects; Constructs; Eskew & Dumez & Ripple; MVRDV; Pugh and Scarpa Architecture; Shigeru Ban Architects; and Trahan Architects. “We wanted to have a mixture of voices,” Mr. Pitt said.
Beyond serving a public need, Mr. Pitt — who has a longstanding interest in architecture — was eager to see what the designers came up with. “I was most curious about advancing the discussion further,” he said. “That was certainly one of the benefits of this exercise. There is no other reason to call on these great minds if you’re just going to shackle them.”
The green building elements will reduce upkeep costs by at least 75 percent, Mr. Pitt said, and reduce some of the problems that devastated the Lower Ninth Ward during Katrina, when multiple levee breaks forced thousands of people from their homes.
The architects were each asked to design a 1,200-square-foot house for about $150,000, with Make It Right to help with the financing. The houses had to be built five to eight feet off the ground, with a front porch and three bedrooms.
To learn more about CLICK HERE.Make It Right,

Have You Seen Them? Police Release Murder Sketch of LSU Killers

A task force investigating the shooting deaths of two LSU doctoral students released sketches Monday of two men wanted for questioning in the killings. One of the men is believed to have been the driver of an older model, light-colored Oldsmobile Alero seen at Edward Gay Apartments on Thursday, the night of the shootings, said Sgt. Don Kelly, a Baton Rouge Police Department spokesman. The second man is described as black and in his 20s or 30s, possibly older, Kelly said. He is between 5 feet 8 and 5 feet 10 inches tall with a muscular build and a receding hairline. He was wearing a white long-sleeve shirt with a high collar and dark jeans. Both men, along with possibly two others, were seen at the on-campus complex near West Roosevelt Street, on the north side of the campus, as early as 9 p.m. Thursday, Kelly said. They might have been in the area even earlier.

N.O. Rapper Uses Housing Rally As Mixtape Release Party

Some things, even the most creative writers, just can't make up.
Protesters blocked the entrance to the federal courthouse building in downtown New Orleans on Thursday, chanting criticism of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's plans to demolish 4,000 public housing apartments.
While all this is going on, one individual named "Sess 4-5" steps in front of the crowd and busts into a free-style rap as elementary as "Mary Had A Little Lamb."
What's surreal about the whole thing is that TV news cameras and media quite focusing on the protesters, who are steady chanting: "HUD says cut back, we say fight back!" while mobbing the glass entrance to the building, with several people tapping on the glass windows as if they were drums.
No, instead the media seems mesmorized by Sess 4-5, a small rapper with a golden grill and a bullhorn.
This nugget of informative news taken from the Times-Picayune:
During the rally, rap artist "Sess 4-5" took command of the bullhorn, while a film crew taped his performance. The artist, who grew up in the Desire housing development, said he will play his mix tape of the protest and host a hip-hop performance under the I-10 overpass at 2 p.m.
Dag. That's all. Just dag. And for all you Sess 4-5 fans, buy the album why don't cha.

LSU safety Steltz = Stud

Senior LSU safety Craig Steltz has been a stud for the Tigers this year. Steltz led the nation in picks for the first month of the season and finished wiht a team-high 6 INTS.
Here's a look back at what he did during the year:
11/17/07: Craig Steltz had rally ending interceptions late in each half, one in the end zone, as LSU got past Ole Miss , 41-24. Steltz's stellar play in the backfield also upheld two goal line stands by the Tigers in the first half as the Rebels advanced inside the 5 yard line twice, but came away empty.
09/10/07 - Safety Craig Steltz recorded his fourth interception of the season and ninth of his career late in the first quarter week 2 48-7 win over the Hokies and then added the second sack of his career and first of the season in the fourth quarter.
09/08/07 - LSU lost two four-year starters at safety, including NFL first-round draft choice LaRon Landry, but the new starter at strong safety, Craig Steltz, intercepted three passes in the opener. Landry's replacement at free safety, Carl Taylor, intercepted another. In all, LSU defensive backs intercepted six passes.
09/06/07 - Over the next two seasons Steltz became a staple on special teams and even returned a fourth quarter blocked punt for a 29-yard touchdown in the Tigers' 35-31 come-from-behind victory against Arizona State. Steltz's father, Keith, said special teams was not what his son wanted, but it allowed him to get on the field. "I think that right there got him through, because ... he always felt like his time would come," Keith Steltz said. "He's a team player and he'll do whatever. "By no means do I think it was easy. I think all those kids, when they come from high school, they feel that they're gonna go there and be a star. I don't think any of them think, 'I'm gonna have to wait three years to get my chance to show.'" Because of injuries to former LSU safety Jessie Daniels, Steltz started five games at strong safety from 2005 to 2006 and even tied for the team lead with four interceptions this past season while amassing 42 tackles for seventh-best on the team. - Dailey Reveille
Keith Steltz, Craig's father, is hoping his son wins the big one come January so that he can have two sons with national championships under their belt.
Kevin Steltz was the starting fullback for LSU on Jan. 4, 2004, when the Tigers beat Oklahoma to win the BCS national championship in the Louisiana Superdome - about 15 minutes from the Steltz home in Metairie. Craig Steltz will start at strong safety on Jan. 7, 2008, when the Tigers play Ohio State for the BCS national championship in the Superdome.
"Twice in a lifetime," Keith said Tuesday. "If we win it, we might write a book about it with that title. But we need to win it first. It's been a very unique and wonderful eight years in our lives, and it happened at a time when LSU had its best years."

ESPN's Herbstreit Calls Les, says "Sorry 'Bout Dat"

ESPN and ABC analyst Kirk Herbstreit says he called LSU coach Les Miles late Saturday to say he was sorry for messing up his Michigan deal, and pretty much guaranteeing that his children learn at least a bit of Cajun before their teen years.
"I called Les late that night after the Missouri-Oklahoma game and really called for nothing else but to apologize for it becoming such a huge story, such a distraction for him, his team to have to have to deal with," Herbstreit told the Detroit Free Press. "It was never my intent, so that was the one thing that I regretted; it became such a significant story everywhere, everywhere you turned.Looking back, it was easy to see how Les Miles almost left for Michigan."
Michigan's football program is among the most successful in college football history. Michigan won the first Rose Bowl game in 1902, has won an NCAA-record 860 games and has an all-time winning percentage of .745, also an NCAA record. The Wolverine football program has claimed 11 national titles.
LSU has claimed two, but can claim its third in January.
But aside from Herbstreit, what happened to the U-M deal? U-M athletic director Bill Martin had Miles at the top of his list although he was no Miles fan. Miles wanted U-M since he left in 1994.
Now, with a national championship at stake, Miles say Michigan was never on his mind much.
"I've probably spent 15 minutes allowing a personal thought along those lines," he told reporters.

Not true, really. Miles had go-betweens galore at U-M and the Miles camps was prepping for a plane ride. They were even hammering out an agreement.
Word is that Michigan put a five-year deal on the table, and Les wet his lips.
And Miles knew it.
But Bill Martin wanted a face-to-face interview, which couldn't happen until after the SEC title game.
Lloyd Carr, very influential with Martin, did not want Miles at Michigan.
But Friday, LSU hit for the pre-emptive strike: offering Miles more years and more money than he would get from Michigan.
When ESPN prematurely reported Saturday morning that Michigan was expected to hire Miles, that added to the pressure and the real possibility that the coach would be a distraction to LSU with the big game hours away. So Miles, stripped of his freedom of speech by ESPN, backed out by rallying with his senior players like Jacob Hester and Craig Steltz.
Miles' big fear -- that Carr would kill his candidacy -- was apparently never realized. But the possibility of it helped convince Miles to stay.
Also Herbstreit promised one more thing:
"One thing I can assure you, you will never see me gathering news and reporting information ever again."
Well put.

Brad Pitt tells New Orleans: “We’re going to start with 150 homes”

“We’re going to start with 150 homes,” he told the media as the movie star strolled through the razed neighborhood, which is decorated with the forms of building components — roofs, walls, foundations — draped in dark pink canvas to attract attention to his cause.
Like the project he announced in August of this year in partnership with Global Green, an environmental organization specializing in eco-friendly construction, Make It Right aims to provide affordable housing in the Lower 9th Ward that will make maximum use of solar and wind energy to reduce utility costs by as much as 65 percent.
And Brad Pitt has pledged $5 million toward the reconstruction.
“This area where we’re standing right now, they lost over 5,000 [homes],” he said. “I’m hoping we can expand over to the rest of New Orleans. There’s no reason why we need to stop here. It’s just going to be if we can get the financial support to make up the difference people need to return to their homes.”
He’s asking for money to make it happen. “This is an adopt-a-house campaign,” he said. “I’m asking for foundations, for high net-worth individuals, for church groups, for corporations to come in to adopt a home. Basically, $150,000 will get a family back in their home.”
Pitt has long been fond of Nola, and is enjoying being a resident.
"For me, first as a tourist, it's the most unique city that we have in the States," Pitt, 43, told the New Orleans Times-Picayune in a phone interview from the Czech Republic.
"It has an energy like no other place. You guys shouldn't change a thing. I've got to get me some of it. I absolutely love it there. We moved our family there. We've got a place there and we're intermittently going back and forth. We're in Prague now because of work. We'll be back there soon."
Actor-activist Brad Pitt greenlighted a bold initiative this summer to start making things better in New Orleans’ flood-devastated Lower 9th Ward. Now, he’s expanding on that with a new foundation called “Make It Right,” pledging that the first of at least 150 environmentally friendly homes will be ready by next summer.

After his family, rebuilding New Orleans is his top priority, he told TODAY’s Ann Curry during a live interview Monday in the Lower 9th Ward. Curry asked if that means it comes ahead of making films.

“Sure, I guess so,” he said. “Right now, this is the focus, and we’re going to see this thing through.”

BCS Didn't Stick To Southerner's Creed

The Bowl Championship Series is wrong to let LSU leap over Georgia, especially if you're a Southerner.
Why is it wrong?
Because the decision-making process of the BCS lacks one of the basic ingredients of any system based on Southern sensitivity: common courtesy.
Georgia was in line ahead of LSU. They were IN LINE ahead of LSU! UGA should get the title game.
I love him, but Les Miles is not a Southerner (Elyria, Ohio), so it's natural for him to want to jump UGA, but true Southerners don't like this system.
The computer polls no doubt did their computing. The former coaches and media did their calcuations, but the coaches poll? They acted. like. robots.
Inhuman, basically.
You don't skip people.
That's just Common Courtesy 101. In this country, we're very rewarding to the hard-working, waiting-their-turn guy who played his hand the best he could. He doesn't look for favors, doesn't look for handouts. He just waits his turn. The Georgia Bulldogs waited their turn, and they rose ever so slowly in the rankings.
Now,LSU's leaping of Virginia Tech? I can understand that. They had the benefit of a head-to-head contest. But, the Georgia leap is just wrong. And I'm an LSU fan. I'm happy we made it, but it just seems that college football should have rewarded Georgia with something a little better than a game against Hawaii.
"It should come down to who the voters believe are the two best teams in the nation right now," UGA coach Mark Richt said.
"Let's face it, going into today we were ranked No. 4 in the BCS. They ranked us there for a reason. They believed we belonged there. Two teams lost ahead of us. Everybody knew going in we were not going to play for a conference championship and still they voted us there. They voted us there for a reason and I don't know why that should change right now."
Georgia coach Mark Richt was right. Nowhere in the BCS rules does it say a team must win its conference championship as some prerequisite to play in the national title game. But that rule might as well be there.
As for old Lester, not only did he say before the game that he'd re-up with the Tigers, but the next day he paid tribute to those that gave me another try at erasing the Nick Saban-tasting flavor on the SEC trophy in his arms.
"I'd like to thank the voters," Miles said on Fox's BCS selection show.
The resulting BCS chaos all but assures Georgia fans have circled in big red ink the pending matchup between their Dawgs and the Tigers next year in Baton Rouge.
If LSU was in need of a rival, Georgia has stood up, this time, with a fierce team.
But alas, that's next year. This year, even Big Ten winner Ohio State was on LSU's side to make it to the big game.
"To win the SEC, to win the Big Ten, ACC or Big 12 or Pac-10, that's a major feat in itself," Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said. "To me, that ought to be considered as you think about who plays for the title.
Ohio State (top) and LSU are ranked 1-2 in the latest AP poll.
Miles said: "To me, being from a major conference in this country, those are the teams that should be most considered for the national title game."
I know, I know, Les, but those are Northerner's rules, Southerners don't think like that.

5 Reasons Why Tennessee Will Be No CakeWalk For LSU

1. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: The game is basically in Tennessee. With Atlanta, Ga., a mere 1.5 hours from the Rocky Top border, there will be a sea of orange in hotlanta this Saturday. LSU's fans travel well, but they will simply be outnumbered in region so friendly to Volunteer country. The crowd advantage may play havoc with LSU's gameplans as the offense puts more wrinkles in an already more complicated set.

2. COACHING CAROUSEL DISTRACTIONS: The rumors are growing more deafening by the day: Les Miles to Michigan, and Bo Pelini to Nebraska. The seniors on LSU's squad have enough going through their heads with last week's devastating loss to Arkansas, but add to the mix the volatility of the coaching situation in Baton Rouge. The behind-the-scenes script doesn't bode well for the Tigers; on the other end of the ball, Tennessee's Philip Fulmer is riding on a crest of stability, even with a 3- to 4-loss season.

3. ONE WORD: FOSTER. Tennessee's starting running back is more than decent, better than average, and he's got the stats to back him up. He'll be a hard horse for the Tigers to tame, with LSU's struggles against marquee tailbacks. His 1100 yards have come against the tough SEC, with a whopping 7-yards-a-carry against Alabama. Will LSU be able to contain him?

4. MATT FLYNN: LSU's starting quarterback has had an uneven season and has been hurt by the loss of Ryan Perrilloux (or should we say, refusal to play?) Opposing teams have gotten wise to LSU's sets and schemes, and even commentators have called out the trends of LSU's running plays with Jacob Hester.

5. ERIC AINGE: Tennessee's battle-tested quarterback shines in these kinds of games. He is not a dynamic thoroughbred, but the Volunteers don't need him to be: He simply throws the danged ball pretty danged well. It's been enough to win the SEC East. LSU has had trouble with quarterbacks that believe in themselves, giving waaay more yards than necessary to the likes of Brandon Cox and John Parker Wilson. Look for Ainge to get hit, but not rattled. And that will be interesting.

What the Bayou Classic Means

Lemme break it down for you:
There's this biiiig Battle of the Bands every Thanksgiving weekend.
It's called the State Farm Bayou Classic. Publicly it's the annual college football game between the Grambling State University Tigers and the Southern University Jaguars.
In practice it is the largest family reunion in the United States, with upwards of 200,000 visitors to the city to meet, greet, eat, celebrate annually.
You meet up with old classmates, distant relatives, former colleagues and neighbors and more importantly you get reaquainted with dear, old Nola.
The Classic was first held in 1974 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. Since 1978 the game has been held the final Saturday in November at the Louisiana Superdome. A Waterford crystal trophy is awarded to the winning school.
The game has had State Farm Insurance as its primary sponsor since 1996.
Southern leads the series 17-16, and claims the longest winning streak, 8 games from 1993-2000.
It is the best known game and rivalry in historically black college football and is televised by NBC, which i spoke of in an earlier post. The Bayou Classic is the only NCAA Division I - Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) game to be shown nationally on broadcast television.
Both schools typically forego Division I-AA playoff elegibility to participate in the lucrative Bayou Classic.
Like I said, before the actual football game is just a formality. The most well-known and well-attended is the Battle Of The Bands, where both schools' marching bands (the Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band and the Southern University Marching Band, also known as the Human Jukebox) stage elaborately choreographed performances at halftime and before and following the game.

The Classic was the biggest stage for college football's biggest name at one time, Grambling coach the late Eddie Robinson. He was literally a Tiger, the winningest coach in college football history when he retired. Super Bowl winning quarterback Doug Williams succeeded Robinson as Grambling coach before going to the front office of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he started his NFL career.
The success of the Bayou Classic is a major source of tourism revenue to the city of New Orleans, and has inspired the promotion of numerous other HBCU rivalries as "Classics", often played at neutral sites in distant cities.

Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, organizers moved the 2005 event from the Superdome to Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, where many of New Orleans' evacuees were living.
The 2006 Bayou Classic returned to the Superdome in New Orleans. This year marks the second year in a row the Classic has returned to its rightful home. Enjoy the game.

Miles Takes Swipe At Razorbacks?

Les Miles, earlier this week, got cussed out by a caller on his show for erroneously pronouncing the name of tomorrow's opponents. Instead of saying “Arkansaw” he said “Ar-Kansas” — in which the last two syllables are pronounced like the No. 2 team in the nation, Kansas.
Miles, who was surrounded by a larger crowd than usual due to the March On Baton Rouge that dozens of fans took part in to show him support, calmly admitted he’d been mistaken earlier and pronounced the Razorbacks state by its proper name and acknowledged the caller's concerns.
“I certainly understand that in that criticism,” Miles said.
But was he being callous? Was he trying to throw salt in the wound, as they say? Miles has been known to badmouth an opponent before GameDay so you never know with this guy. On the other hand it could have been an honest mistake.
Miles coached seven seasons at Oklahoma State, which is located one county away from the Arkansas River. That major tributary of the Mississippi River is, in Kansas and parts of Oklahoma, pronounced “Ar-Kansas,” the same as in Arkansas City, Kansas.
In any event, the Razorbacks and Darren McFadden have probably already heard of the slip and coach Houston Nutt probably has posted the comments up in their locker room.
"I think they're mad," Miles said when asked about the Razorbacks.
"I think they want to play better. We'll have to play a lot better to stop Arkansas. Certainly with Felix Jones and Darren McFadden, that's two very talented men with the ball in their hands. It's something that we'll concern ourselves with I promise you."
And they should be. Coaches around the SEC know about No. 25 and No. 5.
"They are about as good a combination at running back that I can ever remember in college football," said Alabama coach Nick Saban, whose defense allowed 291 yards to the pair in a 41-38 win.
Way to go, Les. You just luuuuv doing it the hard way.

It's Bayou Classic Weekend (video)!

You've heard of Mecca in the Middle East?
Well, this weekend is the football equivalent in Louisiana.
In Baton Rouge every year, the Friday after Thanksgiving,, we'll kick it off with LSU beating up on the Razorbacks. It's extra special this year because LSU is No. 1 in the nation, and the Razorbacks have two diesel running backs, especially the Heisman-hyped Darren McFadden. But the other guy, Felix Jones, is just as good and will run for 180 yards on your tail if you're not careful. Then on Saturday we'll enjoy the Southern Jaguars against the Grambling State Tigers in the Bayou Classic in New Orleans. It's the biggest tradition in Louisiana from two of the biggest black schools in the country, as far as brand recognition is concerned. Grambling was coached by the late, great Eddie Robinson for more than half a century. He never had a losing season until the 1990s, when the AD took most of his power, and clout with it. When I think about the Bayou Classic, I think about him, mostly, even though I root for the Jaguars, who have never had a quarterback and offensive line in the same season. Their coach, Pete Richardson, is probably the best coach in black college football, and he's wrapping up his 13th season in Baton Rouge.
The Bayou Classic has been broadcast live on NBC for over 15 years now and is the only black college football game to get that type of exposure.
NBC has had to talk to its advertisers about it though because a black college football game is a lot longer than any other kind of college football game: It's a lot more sloppy, with penalties, a fair share of bad calls by the referees, not to mention that the halftime bands will not be rushed off the field, but will use all 15 minutes of their time. As a matter of fact, the longest broadcast in the history of network television? You guessed it, a Bayou Classic broadcast from the early 1990s (I forget which year). NBC didn't like that too well, and they kind of got on the game's organizers. If you watch the game closely, you can see in the fourth quarter, the refs will let a lot of stuff go just to keep the clock moving. A player could probably slap somebody and they'd let it go, because NBC wants the game to conform to the length of its other college broadcasts. But the problem is, the Bayou Classic is not like any other broadcast. It's a unique institution in Americana.
After the game, people "hit Bourbon Street" It's a tradition. You could "hit Canal" as well, but it's not as fun. Actually you'll have to "hit Canal" before you "hit Bourbon" because Bourbon is off of Canal Street. But, then again, if your hotel is on Bourbon or just off Bourbon then you don't necessarily have to hit Canal, but ... you understand.

Have You Told Your SEC Coach You Love Him Today?

I thought about this yesterday as serious momentum grew to have a planned March On Baton Rouge to show support to LSU coach Les Miles. Does the SEC have the best coaches are what? I mean, if Tommy Tuberville leaves Auburn for Texas A&M, then Auburn will be the poorer for it, and the real fans know it. If our man Les Miles goes to Michigan, then .. well, .. just when you get a perennial superpower ... it ... it just aint fair!
So, have YOU told your SEC coach how much you love him?
I mean, you got Mark Richt at Georgia who can pretty much run for governor in the Peach State right now (who needs water, they can drink Koolaid. RED Koolaid!). And the coach has changed his whole persona lately and is giving love as well as getting it. No vision solidified this to me more than the tongue-thrust he gave his wife after the Florida game. His players have responded to his loosy-gooseyness by going out and playing some serious ball for him, and as I said before UGA is the SEC's Most Dangerous Team, and it goes all right back to Richt. He's gotten some flak over the last few weeks from other coaches and commentators about how he's conducted himself and allowed the Bulldogs to conduct themselves (the 15-minute excessive celebration against Florida?), but the fans, the people that matter absolutely love it, so we've got to give it to him.

Same goes for Florida Coach Urban Meyer. Even though his star has fallen a little bit since the Gators have been shut out of the BCS and SEC title chase, Urban has gotten some serious love from the fans in Gainesville this year, and he's deserved it. Not only has he faced the toughest expectations of ANY coach this year (how many coaches have been told it's repeat or bust?), he's managed to put together a still-feared college football team. And did I mention he manages Superman?
Other coaches deserving of love: Sylvester Croom, Nicklaus Saban, Rich Brooks, Steve Spurrier.

As Speculation Swirls, Less Smiles at LSU

An emotional Les Miles said Monday, “I want to stay just where I’m at,” but he did not say definitively he will return as LSU football coach next season. And that's okay, being as how he says mad love for Michigan.
Oddly enough, the biggest decision in Les Mile's life comes down, not to what the other school offers, or even what LSU offers, no, it ironically comes down to Nick Saban.
See, Miles has heard the full gamut of emotions from LSU faithful for 3 plus years now, on why Saban is a dirty lowlife. He built his program and cred on the premise that he was not Nick Saban, that he was not that kind of coach, nor that kind of man. So, it's stomach-twistingly mad that he would find himself, in just 3 years, thrust in the same position as Saban was after 5 years.
Should he stay, or should he go?
“I love this place,” Miles said. “It’s a place that I’m very comfortable. My family’s very comfortable. It’s not to suppose that Michigan will call; they’ve not called. It’s unfair to Michigan to say that they should.
But Miles knows what's at stake.
“It’s unfair to me and my team, and so I promise you this: What I’m doing is what you should do — let it rest."
Miles, in his third season in Baton Rouge, said his focus is on LSU’s game Friday against Arkansas and the Dec. 1 SEC Championship Game.
“I’m playing football for LSU,” Miles said. “I’m preparing for Arkansas. I’m preparing for the next game and the next game after that.”
The Tigers (10-1) are ranked No. 1 in the major national polls and in the BCS standings. They are all but guaranteed a spot in the BCS national championship game Jan. 7 if they win their next two games.
“I love this team,” he said, pausing to clear his throat as his eyes welled up, “and I’ll not do anything to hurt it.”

Louisiana Gets Some Serious Getback At Saban

Revenge (n): Action taken in return for an injury or offense.
karma (n): The total effect of a person's actions and conduct during the successive phases of the person's existence.
Getback (n): What Louisiana-Monroe did to Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide last Saturday.
Did you think I was gonna not post about this one, Nicklaus????
I mean, losing to Louisiana-Monroe ON SENIOR DAY?? Can you say App State? Whew! That felt good.
Not only did Louisiana get the satisfaction of seeing LSU put a lump on your temple, but our smaller brethren even got in on the act. Now, THAT's getback. (I fully expect, that if, the Tide played Southern University, they'd lose also, hell, Redemptorist and Catholic High could beat 'em.)
And, to be sure, some Alabama faithful will say "it wasn't that bad," or "it's okay". Noooo. It's not okay, see, Louisiana-Monroe has such a small profile that, if it wasn't for the word "Monroe" in the school's name, WE WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THE SCHOOL IS LOCATED!
Saban even went to calling the loss a "catastrophic event." Why? Because he knows that the school he lost to wasn't even in existence 9 years ago.
"Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event," Saban said during the opening remarks of his weekly news conference. "It may be 9-11, which sort of changed the spirit of America relative to catastrophic events. Pearl Harbor kind of got us ready for World War II, or whatever, and that was a catastrophic event."
Short of being a catastrophic event, Louisiana-Monroe used to be called Northeast until it changed names in 1999. So, see, Nick, you really lost to Northeast. And being a former Louisiana resident, that's got to sting!
But ... seriously, life is funny like that.
Now the Crimson Tide prepares for the famed Iron Bowl against the Auburn Tigers. I won't pick a winner, because I respect Tuberville an awfully lot, and I think he's got a lot more to lose, so i'll just say ... Go Tigers!

Fulmer, Vols Do What's Expected And No More, Can You Blame Him?

You've got to give it to Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer.
He did exactly what he was supposed to do this year: The Volunteers beat the teams they were supposed to beat.
They also lost to the teams they were supposed to lose to.
All three of the losses were pretty much blowouts that could have been much worse and that could have been a little closer.
In the first game of the season, they got ran all over by California 31-45.
Two games later they got pasted by Florida 59-20 (didn't most teams, they had Superman?).
And the Alabama game got out of hand 41-17, but hey, they hung on against South Carolina. They hit on all cylinders againstGeorgia . And they took care of business against Arkansas. As a result of handling their workmanlike business, the Vols could be playing for the SEC Championship with a win vs. Kentucky on Saturday.
And to think, some people counted on Phil out after the team was 1-2 after the Gators thumping.
But you know? If college football teams could simply beat the teams they're supposed to beat then the average tenure of a college coach would be a lot longer and more enjoyable. Don't get me wrong now, the Vols stunk at times against the Gamecocks (especially the second half) and the Gators, and even against Vanderbilt. But you gotta love a team that gives you exactly what you expect. Tennessee didn't figure to finish better than 8-2 this year and they didn't. They beat the cupcakes of their schedule (SMU, Louisiana-Lafayette) and lost to the powerhouses. Big deal? It could have been much worse, they could have schedule Appalachian State (like Michigan did). They could have scheduled South Florida (like Auburn did). They didn't. They scheduled Cal as the first team, Florida as the third. You've got to give to coaches like that (LSU scheduled Virginia Tech second, and actually opened the season in SEC play with a game AT Mississippi State.) So, while half the southeastern United States is going against ya Phil, I got yer back. And no, I'm not encouraging low expectations from the Vols. You didn't shock the world, Phil, but you weren't playing the world either; you simply managed to keep your job. In these days in times, it's enough.

What Happened To Kentucky?

They boasted a Heisman-hyped quarterback in Andre Woodson, a dues-paying coach in Rich Brooks and alot of feel good.
The way their blue jerseys electrified the field was a cool contrast to every other team they played. They looked good on TV.
They even teased the Bluegrass fan base with a 46-points-a-game average and thoughts of running away with the SEC East.
In September they were a perfect 5-0 and nationally ranked in the top 10.
Then it happened.
The worse thing that could happen to them, happened to them.
They beat the No. 1 team in the nation.
Game over.
Is it me, or has KU just not been the same team since that fateful October 13th?
They've won all of 1 game since then (against Vandy and they had 13 penalties) and lost 3.
What happened?
If they would have lost to LSU in triple or quadruple overtime maybe they would have saw their flaws a little earlier and fixed them against Florida or Georgia.
As it stands, the LSU win, while it was a great win, became the beginning of a subtle-but-all-too-familiar slide to mediocrity. And what stands out the most? They're so good! Kentucky, if it didn't make the mistakes, could play with anybody in the SEC (the LSU game proves that). The Florida game could have turned out different with just a few plays going the other way.
But as it stands, KU is left to play the role of spoiler to Tennessee, who only beat the teams they were supposed to beat, and lost to the ones they were supposed to lose to.

In Leaving U-M, Carr Gets One Last Jab At Les Miles

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr is trying to mess with Les.
The two don't like each other, and Carr is intentionally trying to distract Les Miles from a potential championship season.
How else to explain a retirement announcement ONE WEEK before the season's end (so what, you lost again to OSU, YOU ALWAYS LOSE against them)? Why do it when your team can still finish the season on a positive note?
Why? Because his nemesis Les Miles is the frontrunner to take his job. It's a tough spot for both coaches, but Carr could carry himself alot better than he's doing it. I'm not saying he's not a decent man: It's true that he reworked his contract last year to arrange for an escape clause this year, and it's true he got all his assistants 2-year-deals. But he is deliberately trying to get in Les Miles' head in the middle of a No. 1 ranking and chance to win it all at LSU.
In the end, Carr wanted to beat at least one nemesis, one villain, being that the Ohio State Buckeyes were having none of it. But, that's alright. Les Miles will hold it together, he's not the greastest Xs and Os coach, but he can hold a group together, I'll say that.

Cockadoodle Don't: For Spurrier, the Bottom Has Fallen Out

"Thinking about winning the SEC about four years ago was a realistic thought," South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier said recently when he reflected on the Gamecocks' 2007 campaign. "But obviously it turned out to be very unrealistic."
As the season winds down, Ole Ball Coach is finally facing the reality that is oh so obvious to the casual SEC observer: The Gamecocks pretty much suck.
"Somebody told me, 'Coach, if you don't go to a bowl, at least you won't have a losing record this year,' " Spurrier said. "Well, that's one way to look at it."
But Spurrier and the South Carolinians had much bigger plans.
When he met with the athletic director this summer for an honest assessment you had to figure their meeting went something like this:
Spurrier: Well, boss, I think we got ourselves an SEC East contender.
A.D.: Really? A contender in less than 4 years? Let's run down the schedule, shall we?
Spurrier: Yes-sir-eee, let's do it.
A.D.: Louisiana-Lafayette?
Spurrier: Yeah, easy.
A.D.: Georgia?
Spurrier: Hell yeah.
A.D.: South Carolina State.
Spurrier: (laughs, adjusting his visor).
A.D.: At LSU?
Spurrier: Well, (grimacing) we'll make a game of it.
A.D.: Okay, um, Mississippi State?
Spurrier: We'll get that one.
A.D.: Kentucky?
Spurrier: Com'on, now. You kiddin' me?
A.D.: At North Carolina?
Spurrier: Battle for the state? No problem.
A.D.: Vanderbilt.
Spurrier: (stares at him) It's Vandy (shrugs with both hands out)
A.D.: At Tennessee
Spurrier: It'll come down to the last play. It's 50-50.
A.D.: At Arkansas?
Spurrier: They don't have a passing game. We'll kill 'em!
A.D.: Florida?
Spurrier: They can't recruit since i left. Done.
A.D.: Clemson?
Spurrier: (deep breathe) They'll be at the bottom of the ACC. Course!
Before the season, Spurrier had every reason to expect a two-loss campaign. They had high hopes for senior tailback Cory Boyd, who had over 800 yards the previous season and a 5-yard-a-carry average for this career. Hopes were even higher for freshman Chris Smelley, a Tuscaloosa kid who spurned the obvious school choice to experience a little Cock N' Fire, and compete for the starting position with seasoned senior Blake Mitchell. Spurrier has tinkered with the lineups so much that both quarterbacks have turned in uneven seasons, but it didn't start out that way.
The Gamecocks proceeded to run the table early on, except for a Purple-and-Gold speed bump in Baton Rouge, where the Ole Ball Coach even accused LSU of
"dirty play". But they regrouped for awhile. At their highest, they made it to No. 6 in the country, despite a bad showing against the Tar Heels. But they managed to hold up their end of the bargain.
Then came Vanderbilt. A perennial cupcake, the Commodores would stop two deep USC drives and stymie many others with their secondary play. The loss was a stunner, to say the least.
And the Tennessee game? USC spotted the Vols a 21-0 lead before a furious comeback was spoiled by special teams in a 27-24 loss. Spurrier sensed that the bottom could fall out even then.
"When we were 6-1, you guys heard me talking, I wasn't sitting on the table here telling you how great we were," Spurrier said after that game while preparing for the Razorbacks. "It sort of just all caught up to us against some good teams."
And then the Arkansas, a 48-36 laugher, saw Razorback running back Darren McFadden personally do a Heisman highlight reel through the Gamecock line and secondary.
"I don't know if Arkansas was that great a running team or we're that bad," Spurrier said then. "I guess we're going to find out as we finish the season here."
He'd find out the following week, as Florida came to town.
Gator quarterback Tim Tebow was so dominant, scoring all seven of the Gators' touchdowns in a 51-31 romp, that he astoundingly contributed 80 percent of Florida's entire offense.
He had 424 of Florida's 537 total yards on offense.
Spurrier, like his team,
had no answers.
And he doesn't have any today as the Gamecocks look to finish against Clemson next week.

Why Georgia is the SEC's Most Dangerous Team

The Georgia Bulldogs are the most dangerous team in the SEC,
gimmicks or no gimmicks. UGA is rocking between the Hedges and have celebrated, "blacked out" and Soulja-Boy'd themselves to an 8-2 record against the formidable opponents of their schedule including wins over Florida, Auburn (they lost to South Carolina and Tennessee). They didn't just win against these teams, no last-second ballsy calls or plays, no they demoralized the Auburn Tigers, they made Tim Tebow throw in the towel. And any self-respecting football fan can't help but be envious. They've injected a feel-good vibe into their team and the fans have caught on. Now, the Bulldogs are the most dangerous team in the SEC, which is what the 2-loss LSU Tigers were last year after getting bruised by Auburn and Florida.
Let's be honest, here: As good and fortunate as the LSU Tigers are this year they don't want no part of dem Georgia boys right about now. They are the feel-good story of the SEC this year, not Kentucky, not Alabama. The Bulldogs are headed for an SEC Championship showdown with my LSU Tigers if they can win out, and if that happens, the Georgia Dome will be rockin' "dat Soulja Boy" just like Athens was last week, and Coach Mark Richt has called for a
"Red-Out" this week vs. Kentucky. Talk about home field advantage.
Below, witness the Bulldogs rockin' the crowd last week, "crankin' dat Soulja Boy" against Auburn.

LSU Runs Away With No. 1 Ranking (again), Big 12 Making BCS Noise

SU got good news Saturday before they pummeled Louisiana Tech 58-10 at Tiger Stadium. No. 1 Ohio State's shocking 28-21 loss to Illinois earlier meant the Tigers (9-1) would be playing for the top rankings in both polls.
LSU owned the No. 1 spot in the rankings earlier this season before dropping a 43-37 triple-overtime decision at Kentucky on October 13.
More good news happened for the Tigers when they found out they clinched the SEC West after losses by Alabama and Auburn earlier in the day.
"I am told we're going to be the western representative in the SEC Title game," LSU coach Les Miles said. "I enjoy that. That's an accomplishment to this team and something we should certainly be grateful for as well as a job well done. We'll enjoy that for a moment and then look forward to playing our remaining two regular-season opponents."
But the big news of this football season is the noise the Big 12 is making in the BCS.
The Big 12, a conference that wasn't really supposed to return to the national stage until next season, had three teams in the top six. Oklahoma wis sandwiched between No. 3 Kansas and No. 5 Missouri.
For much of this decade, with the dropoffs at Nebraska and Kansas State, the North had been viewed nationally more as an anchor than an asset.
The Big 12's traditional powers, Texas and Oklahoma, are solid this year. So are Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. But the elite?
Kansas and Missouri.
Not only are the Jayhawks the elite of the Big 12, but they are BCS elite.
"It says that's it's a pretty strong conference, no question," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "The BCS is showing it right now, and that's proof of it right there."
So, the strongest football conference may not be in the Southeast after all, but in the Midwest.
They way the cards are falling, I'll go on record right now and say a Kansas-LSU BCS game is looming.

Miss St. loss threatens to make Saban's 1st season at Alabama a footnote

Oh, Nicklaus.
Baton Rouge favorite son and Alabama offensive coordinator Major Applewhite probably thought he'd gamble his future like LSU's Les Miles has done this season.
In the final moments of the second quarter on Saturday, Alabama's two-minute offense moved the ball down inside the Mississippi State 10-yard line of nice calls by Applewhite.
Alabama had a 9-3 lead, all the momentum, and were poised to take a 13-point lead into the locker room at halftime.
The momentum-killing play occurred with 21 seconds left and the ball inside the MSU 2-yard line. After two running plays had netted a yard, Alabama called its final timeout of the half.
Applewhite elected to call for a naked bootleg, a play that had worked for a TD against Tennessee three weeks ago. The plan is for the quarterback to roll to his right and if he has daylight he can run it in, if he can't run it simply toss it to the receiver or running back who should be in the end zone pretty open.
Instead, the ill-advised pass from John Parker Wilson was intercepted by Bulldogs' Anthony Johnson and returned 100-yards for a touchdown at Scott Field and the game was on.
“In three hours, we changed the way people look at this program across the nation.”
That was Sylvester Croom, the former assistant coach and player at Alabama, after coaching his Mississippi State Bulldogs to its second straight win over Alabama with a bruising 17-12 upset on Saturday.
“We’ve got bragging rights now,” Croom, the Tuscaloosa, Ala., native said. “I don’t have to say anything, but if I want to I can.”
Wilson threw for a season-low 121 yards and two interceptions. He rarely found receivers open and often had to throw the ball away under pressure in the second half, completing 16 of 34 passes.
None of his passes were bigger than the interception before the half. After the game Parker tried to rationalize. "We're taught to get deep after the fake," Wilson said of the role a quarterback plays in the naked bootleg, "but their guy got through on the blitz. You've got to get rid of it then. You can't take a sack because the clock would run out. You've just got to throw it away."
Nick Saban didn't take up for Wilson as he did in earlier losses this season, instead ridiculing the quarterback.
"When you tell a guy he's got to throw the ball away, you don't necessarily think he's going to throw it to them," Saban said. "There is nobody that feels worse about that than the quarterback."
What made his comments stand out? Saban, a man of few, well-crafted words, suddenly got diarhea of the mouth about his quarterback's feelings.
"You think he doesn't know it's a bad play?" Saban asked. "You think he doesn't feel bad about it? I'll bet you he feels worse about it than anybody who roots for Alabama, anybody who writes for Alabama, anybody that coaches for Alabama. I'll bet you he feels worse about it than anybody.
"He knows he shouldn't have done that. He needed to throw the ball away. Get sacked there and we don't have any more timeouts so we may not get the field goal off. But on the play before, if we had blocked it right, we would've scored on it. So we wouldn't have even been in that situation."
The "situation" is that two weeks after being looked at as the Second Coming of the Bear, ole St. Nick's first season at Alabama is in danger of becoming a footnote. Two straight losses will do that to you in the SEC.
Meanwhile, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-4, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) are bowl eligible for the first time since 2000.
The resurgent Bulldogs, who were 9-25 in Croom’s first three seasons, have won six games in a season for the first time since 2000.
Saban's group, on the other hand, must learn to lick its wounds and forget the past.
"We came here to compete for 60 minutes," Saban said, "and I told the players at halftime that when you get adverse circumstances and adverse conditions, everyone's going to judge you by how you respond to it. So forget about it, it's over, look forward to the next play. We need to make adjustments in terms of what we need to execute in the second half and I thought they were OK. I didn't see anybody hang-doggin'."
Mississippi State beat then-No. 14 Kentucky two weeks ago, and the win over No. 21 Alabama made the Bulldogs 2-2 during a streak of four consecutive games against ranked opponents.
Alabama (6-4, 4-3) and first-year coach Nick Saban have lost two straight. The Bulldogs limited Alabama to four field goals by Leigh Tiffin.
Croom was hired by Mississippi State four years ago, making him the first black head coach in SEC history, but he inherited a team on N.C.A.A. probation.