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.

Spurrier Inconsolable After Gamecocks lose to Gators

Maybe he should have made his team celebrate for like, 20 minutes after their first touchdown.
On a wild weekend in the SEC, South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier could no longer put on a happy face Saturday night.
Ole Ball Coach sounded detached and demure after his team lost to Florida 51-31 before 81,000 Gamecocks fans. It was the fourth straight loss for South Carolina, marking only the second time in Spurrier's coaching career that he has lost four consecutive games. As much success as he's had coaching college football, safe to say he soundly appreciates having to serve up quality football at a C-list athletic program. As glanced across the field he could only wish he had access to the rich stables of Florida high school talent he left behind for meaner pastures in the NFL.
Now, Spurrier, do you feel our pain now?
Still, he tried his best to squeeze out, to rinse, wringle, strain any ounce of goodness from this game, but he just couldn't.
"We moved the ball somewhat in the second half ... but to no avail," said South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier. "We were getting shoved around at the line of scrimmage. The guys are trying, but we're just not that good. The other team toyed with us. We'll see if we can play better. If we can't, we'll need to get in the weight room and see if we can't stop getting pushed around."
Spurrier has been getting less and less optimistic about his team since the start of the season where he stated that the Gamecocks could finally "compete" in the SEC East.
South Carolina's Blake Mitchell completed 26-of-42 passes for 316 yards, but had a pair of costly turnovers that ultimately led to the fourth consecutive loss for the Gamecocks (6-5, 3-5). Gamecocks tailback Cory Boyd scored three times on the ground and Kenny McKinley caught seven passes for 95 yards.
On the other side of the ball, "Superman" Tim Tebow rushed for a career-high and SEC-record five touchdowns and threw for two more.
After the contest, Spurrier was impressed with his old team.
"If we played them 10 times they'd probably beat us 10 times. We got problems stopping a lot of stuff. We got our butts kicked."
Spurrier's defense gave up 537 total yards to Florida. Last week South Carolina allowed 541 yards rushing in a loss to Arkansas. Can they beat anybody?
"It's going to be hard to beat anybody when you can't stop people and get them off the field," Spurrier said. "We basically just got pushed around and got our butts beat. That's just where we are, men. We're just not very good right now."
Don't worry Ole Ball Coach, it wasn't a bird, or a plane, that did you in. It was Superman.

Georgia's Getting Gimmicky, and Good (Auburn's Not)

Georgia coach Mark Richt has proven master of the motivational ploy, or, as some say, gimmick. In back-to-back games now UGA has whipped the fans in a frenzy: last week against Florida there was the "extended celebration" after their 1st touchdown. It got the crowd fired up and the Gators never recovered. Then, Saturday, was the "blackout" the Bulldogs wore black jerseys and their fans wore all-black. It worked, as Georgia hung 45 points on Auburn's defense. From the looks of their defense, though, I don't think they need gimmicks. They are a talented team with a crazy-good freshman running back in Knowshon Moreno and trigger-happy young quarterback in Matthew Stafford. But coach Mark Richt seems to think gimmicks can bring the needed-energy level his team needs to compete. See, the thing about gimmicks, they can backfire. And they will on UGA, soon.
Auburn on the other hand, could use a few new gimmicks, particularly at quarterback. Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville did all he could after the game to deflect the punishing limelight off his tarnished quarterback Brandon Cox (4 interceptions), even going so far as to blame his defense for the loss.
"We just couldn't get over the hump tonight," Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said. "We got whupped pretty good on defense. We hadn't given up that many points in I don't know how long. I thought we looked confused out there at times," Tuberville said. "When you give up 45 points, you've been taken to the woodshed."
No, Cox was taken to the woodshed.
"Just one of those nights," said Cox, who also threw four interceptions against Georgia last year. "Their defense really got too much pressure on us."
The ploy won't work. Auburn fans saw their quarterback melt on national TV for the 4th time this season, and it's getting old.
Also getting old is Georgia's shy role of "We're just trynta make it in the SEC East." Nah, those boys are the cream of the East. Even though Richt can't beat Tennessee he can beat everyone else, and that says something.
For the game, Georgia gained 417 yards to Auburn's 216, and scored 40 points in its third straight game. The Bulldogs hung 42 on Florida, 44 on Troy, and 45 on a decent Auburn defensive unit.

"We're pretty good on running the football and have two special guys back there to do it," Stafford said, speaking of Brown and Moreno. "When teams are playing one-on-one coverage we're doing a pretty good job of making plays."
But one has to wonder what will Richt cook up next week as the Kentucky Wildcats come to town? Ballerina dresses?

5 Greatest Video Clips from SEC 2007 Football

(1.) Auburn-Florida game: Caught Up in the Frenzy of College Football Celebration, Dude. Does. THE. ROBOT?? WTF!?




(2.) Kentucky receiver Steve Johnson busts into a freestyle rap before the season opener against Eastern Kentucky. He caught one ball for 18 yards (but, in the biggest game of the season, against then-No. 1 LSU, he caught 7 balls for 134 yards and 1 touchdown).

Kentucky receiver Steve Johnson busts into a freestyle rap before the season opener against Eastern Kentucky. He caught one ball for 18 yards (but, in the biggest game of the season, against then-No. 1 LSU, he caught 7 balls for 134 yards and 1 touchdown).


(3.) Auburn Defensive Coach Will Muschamp calls Arkansas Motherf--kers


(4.) LSU reciever Brandon Lefell absolutely POSTMARKS Mississippi State defender ("You Got Knocked Da F--k Out" Montage at end)


(5.) Arkansas Running Back Darren McFadden's 80-yard TD off simple sweep against South Carolina Gamecocks (and look of disgust by USC's Boyd at end)


(5a.) BONUS:
LSU fake field goal-TD-run by Colt David against South Carolina Gamecocks (and look of disgust by Steve Spurrier)

LSU's comeback vs. Alabama 11/3/07 (video)

Les Miles gambles on 4th down. Again. And gets it. Touchdown, LSU! Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson drops back to pass, LSU safety Chad Jones blitzes up the middle, it's a ... FUM-BOL! LSU gets it! Jacob Hester goes over the top, TOUCHDOWN LSU!

I 'm an LSU fan, but I respect Alabama, Saban, seriously

"Great game. Good luck to ya."
That was the quick soundbite that TV cameras allowed as LSU coach Les Miles and Alabama coach Nick Saban shook hands after Saturday night's 41-34 LSU win. It was a short and sweet comment by Saban, and it was emotionally genuine. For 60 minutes, he got to see the people and fans he influenced work against him. He's got to appreciate this redemption of theirs. And he does, even more than Les Miles can understand. Well, it's been about 10 hours since the game ended. I've had time to relect now, and put this LSU victory over Alabama in perspective. It was a hard-fought game by both teams, and, ya know, we respect Alabama (12 national championships? Are you kiddin' me?). Actually we love Alabama, and I don't know any team that doesn't want the rich heritage and tradition that the Crimson Tide has. I've talked to several LSU fans that made the trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and they said the Bama fans were some of the nicest fans they've been around. this quote from the Advocate sums it up: Stephen Hardy of St. Martinville, La. said he was impressed both by the game atmosphere and the home fans, who filled the stadium to its 92,128 capacity.
“These Alabama fans are the nicest, most gracious fans you ever did see,” he said. “Where we were sitting, when the game turned at the end, everybody congratulated us and told us good luck in the SEC championship game.”
See, LSU-Alabama is not really a rivalry to Alabama faithful, no, they've got Tennessee and Auburn for that. LSU? We've got nobody. Instate rival? Who, Tulane? Nobody in Mississippi gives us a good game anymore, so, (gulp) we come to you, Alabama. Every year we're searching for a fight, for somebody to knock this purple-and-gold chip off our shoulder. A couple of years ago we were begging Georgia to do it, when it looked like they were going to be a perennial power, then they lost to Vanderbilt. A few years before that we thought we had some animosity with Tennessee, even beating them in the SEC championship game, but the Schedule Gods don't make us play them every year. And Florida? They've got their hands full with Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State. So, see, us Tigers need, no, crave a legitimate rivalry game, and Alabama is the closest thing we got, especially since the Tommy Hodson "Earthquake game". You can make a case for Auburn, but the truth is Auburn is preoccupied with beating the Tide, not LSU. And so, we eye the Tide. Plus, Alabama took Saban, OUR CHAMPIONSHIP COACH, that's got to count for something!!! LSU doesn't have an Iron Bowl, no Third Saturday in October, but we doooo have a Saban Bowl! So, we salute, the Crimson Tide for a game well done. No hard feelings. kinda like Nick Saban said after the game. "I know their families. I know their mommas," Saban said. "It was a little bit like my initial feeling was like 'you're playing against somebody who is in your family'."
Nick's got it right. He's still a part of the Tiger family, just wearing a maroon sweater now. "I love our players here more. I'm going to work with them every day to try to help them be successful," Saban said. "But I can't just throw away the feelings I have for those players, the ones I have a relationship with. That just doesn't go away." Great game. Good luck to ya.

5 Reasons Why LSU beat Alabama

1. DEFENSIVE LINE: Glenn Dorsey, Marlon Favorite and Al Woods plugged the middle for the Tigers more than any game this season in the SEC. Alabama couldn't run the ball very effectively and, with a 10-point lead, it meant John Parker Wilson had to pass to stay competitive (7 sacks, including one big one at the end). Tyson Jackson and Kirston Pittman on the ends both ate the lunches of their counterparts on the other end of the ball.

2. RECEIVERS: Early Doucet and the LSU receiving corps is back, which is what they haven't been since the 2nd game of the season (Virginia Tech). There has always been talent all over the unit, but it struggled without Doucet, and the emergence of Demetrius Byrd, who caught a go-route for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter, made Alabama pay dearly. Alabama's D.J. Hall, who leads the SEC and is 16th nationally with 95.5 yards receiving a game, had a relatively quiet night after a school-record 13 receptions for 185 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Tennessee two weeks ago. Tide senior Matt Caddell also had a big game, but frequently disappointing Ray Brown had the game of his life with 2 TD catches against the Tigers. But Alabama got increasingly one dimensional as the game wore on.

3. INSTANT REPLAY: Never has a team dominated the replay booth like LSU did, going 3-1 on crucial calls in the game. None were bigger than a 3rd down reception for more than 30 yards on 3rd down that Wilson through in the fourth quarter. LSU also got a very fortunate, and close call when a fumble was overturned late in the 3rd quarter. If any of those plays would have went the other way, LSU would have most likely lost the game, especially being down by 10 points at the time. "We should have won, and I'm really angry right now," Alabama linebacker Darren Mustin said. "I feel like we had that game won, but we just let them take it away from us."

4. 'BAMA COULDN'T RUN: Tide tailback Terry Grant, who led Alabama 667 yards for the season before the game, had 10 yards on 10 carries with under 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Grant had been running behind a thin and young offensive line for most of the season, and it did him in as Nick Saban tried to slow the LSU pass rush by running it. LSU was not really effective on the ground as well as Jacob Hester turned in a demure performance outside of his two touchdowns, which were huge. But in the end LSU's defensive line was simply too much for Alabama's O-line.

5. NICK SABAN WAS OUTCOACHED: Les has got Balls of steel. And can we coach better than Saban? Well, he beat him. Why? Because Saban played a straight game. Saban saw in the first half that his team was not physical enough for the Tigers, not mano-o-mano, but he didn't go into his bag of tricks. "We don't play with enough discipline," he said. "It drives me nuts. My hands are bruised from smacking them together when we made mistakes, when we did the wrong things." Les, on the other hand, reached down into his bag and had quarterback Matt Flynn catch a nifty pass from the receiver Doucet. Even late in the game, knowing he didn't have a running game, he did no counters, no misdirections. It cost him. Big time. He got outcoached. "We kept hanging in there, kept fighting," Miles said. "We found a way to win. I've never seen that many mistakes in a game. We'll never play that poorly again."

Southern University Marching Band Performing "Neck"

Making The Band ... Mad: Southern University Marching Band Administers A Beatdown

Les Miles Will Beat Alabama. His Balls Tell Him So (Here's Why)

The fate of Les Miles and Nick Sab- uh, I mean, Satan have been linked long before their uber-big game in two weeks in Tuscaloosa.
You see, Satan visited Miles in a secret gathering early July this year, and the effects of that meeting are still being felt in the college football world.
Nice one, Satan. I've got to give it to you: We didnt' see this one coming.
See, this offseason, Les Miles obviously made a deal with the Devil. It probably took place in the locker room (the visitors' so he could be alone) of Tiger Stadium when everyone else had gone home:
"Debel, if you give me balls, big balls (he probably stretched his arms out for good measure), well, hell, I'll do your bidding."
Satan probably put his hand on his chin and walked around in a circular motion and said: "Just give us November 3." Miles gave the thumbs up sign, and Satan nodded in agreement.
It was a quick encounter, a wistful wish that probably slipped his mind when he started going back over the depth chart, scratching out super frosh Terrence Toliver from starting No. 2 receiver and reinserting Brandon LeFell. Ole Les sat down in his chair at his desk, and he felt a strange sensation from his crotch area. "Well, ShaaaaZAMMM!" Les probably said as he looked down between his legs.
The seat cushion under his scrotum was literally decompressing was a rapidly increasing heaviness.
Those balls had arrived.
Les Miles' balls have been on full display this season. And his coaching skills have deteriorated as the season goes on. See, Les Miles' balls are consuming him.
Soon, there won't be a Les Miles. Only balls. Big balls.
Michigan will be left to fly some balls in for an interview come early February. Big balls.

Turns out Miles has needed his balls, more than any other coaching attribute.
Miles showed his big, brawny ballsiness with the 5-for-5 on 4th down against Florida (desperate), also with the failed fourth-and-2.7 against Kentucky (arrogant), and finally the "1-tick miracle" against Auburn (reckless). When history judges him and he is enshrined at LSU (by enshrined I mean frozen ala Hans Solo, in a sideline pose with his friggin' balls out!), a picture of his mug will not be considered as a memoriam to The Man That Replace Satan. Instead, in a long case of glass you'll see some balls dangling over the side. Big balls. Les' Balls.

LSU vs. Alabama (Nicklaus vs. Lester), why it matters

The refs may have to get in between the coaches in this one.
LSU may go for it on 4-and-8 at their 40 in this one.
It's that intense.
Saturday's game is LSU vs. Alabama, but everyone knows it's even more about Nick Saban and Les Miles. No matter what the coaches say, it's Nicklaus vs. Lester. The LSU faithful will hate Les if he loses to Alabama, especially with the LSU West crown at stake (even though bettors well know 'Bama will lose to Auburn) Alas, it is what it is. The comparisons are plenty, including the fact that Saban won the SEC in his second year at LSU, but something has to be said about the competition each faced in the SEC. When Saban was at LSU he profited from a weak Alabama team for about 5 years, feasting on them to a 4-1 record (the one loss? LSU was thrashed 31-0). Auburn wasn't nearly as weak though. They always gave one year and tooketh the next (and that trend has continued under Lester Miles), but the Florida squads, coached by Steve Spurrier in the first two years of Saban's tenure, blew out LSU and only when Ron Zook took command did LSU make a game and victory out it as Saban went 2-1 down the stretch. In fairness to Saban, Tennessee was what LSU is now in the SEC, an up-and-coming monster perennial No. 2 power (Florida 's No.1, sorry, usurping 'Bama's throne), but if we look at Saban and Miles' records against the big four, you'll clearly see that there's not alot of slippage. Even in 2003, when LSU won it all it was a "gravy year" (when all the tough games are at home). And 2007? Yep, you guessed it. It's a gravy year.

Records against the BIG FOUR: ALABAMA, AUBURN, FLORIDA, TENNESSEE

SABAN'S TENURE
2000 (2-2)
17-24 Auburn L
9-41 @Florida L
30-28 ALABAMA W
38-31 TENN W

2001 (2-2)
15-44 FLORIDA L
18-26TENN L
35-21 @ALABAMA W
27-14 @AUBURN W

2002 (1-2)
36-7 @FLORIDA W
31-7@ AUBURN L
31-0 ALABAMA L

2003 (2-1)
7-19 FLORIDA L
31-7 AUBURN W
27-3 @ALABAMA W

2004 (2-1)
10-9 @AUBURN L
24-21 @FLORIDA W
26-10 ALABAMA W

MILES' TENURE
2005 (3-1)
30-27 TENN L
16-13@ ALABAMA W
20-17 AUBURN W
21-17 FLORIDA W

2006 (2-2)
3-7@ AUBURN L
23-10 @FLORIDA L
28-24 @TENN W
28-14 ALABAMA W


Miles is

2007
28-24 FLORIDA W
30-24 AUBURN W
??? ALABAMA