Now before I copy & paste this ... I must warn you that I am not quite sure what the fellow from YAHOO was drinking ... because he has bowl projections showing 10 outta 12 SEC teams making a bowl ....... hmmmmm has that ever happened?
Power Poll
By Travis Reier, BamaOnLine.com Senior Analyst Oct 15, 1:20 pm EDT
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE POWER RANKINGS
RANK
1
Alabama Crimson Tide
Nick Saban can’t even enjoy an open week. Bama’s boss said he tried to watch the Oklahoma-Texas last Saturday game, only to throw in the towel after mentally matching up his defensive players against the Texas and Oklahoma offenses. I mean, really, why breakdown the Longhorns and Sooners when a dangerous Ole Miss team awaits?
Midseason bowl projection: BCS Championship Game
Up next: UA (6-0, 3-0 in SEC) hosts Ole Miss on Oct. 18 (2:30 p.m. CT/CBS).
2
Florida Gators
From the fringes of the BCS title hunt to squarely in the mix. From the outer edges of the Heisman race to top three candidate. That’s a day in the life Tim Tebow, whose team beat the defending national champions by 30 points in primetime. Since winning it all two seasons ago, the Gators (5-1, 3-1) have been largely without star power on the defensive side of the ball. They have that now in middle linebacker Brandon Spikes.
Midseason bowl projection: Sugar
Up next: UF hosts UK on Oct. 25 (12:30 p.m. ET/Raycom).
3
Georgia Bulldogs
Lost in Matthew Stafford’s career-high passing day in the win over Tennessee was the fact that he took way too many shots. And with the revolving door at left tackle welcoming another newcomer this week against Vanderbilt, I’m wondering if Stafford will be upright by the time Georgia Tech rolls around in late November.
Midseason bowl projection: Capital One
Up next: UGA (5-1, 2-1) hosts Vanderbilt on Oct. 18 (12:30 p.m. ET/Raycom).
4
LSU Tigers
My immediate thought following Florida’s hammering of the Tigers: Other than offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, is there a current LSU assistant that Georgia, UF or Alabama would really want? Think about it. Jimbo Fisher and Stacy Searels gone to Florida State and Georgia, respectively, after the 2006 season. Bo Pelini takes over at Nebraska following the 2007 campaign. Crowton was a nice hire, but can anyone outside the state of Louisiana name the Tigers’ current defensive coordinator? (Hint: There are actually two of them)
Midseason bowl projection: Cotton
Up next: LSU (4-1, 2-1) travels to South Carolina on Oct. 18 (8 p.m ET/ESPN).
5
South Carolina
The quarterback position at USC has produced SEC player of the week honors in each of the past two weeks. And in true Steve Spurrier fashion, two different signal callers have been on the receiving end. After taking offensive player of the week honors against Ole Miss, Chris Smelley was benched in favor of Stephen Garcia in the Gamecocks’ 24-17 win over Kentucky. Spurrier’s decision proved to be the correct one, because without Garcia, who went on to earn freshman of the week honors after leading a 10-0 fourth quarter surge in Lexington, Carolina (5-2, 2-2) would not be in favorable bowl position today.
Midseason bowl projection: Outback
Up next: USC hosts LSU on Oct. 18 (8 p.m. ET/ESPN).
6
Ole Miss Rebels
Can Ole Miss (3-3, 1-2) produce some more SEC road magic this week at Alabama? If quarterback Jevan Snead plays in Tuscaloosa like he did in the Rebels’ first two road games of the season, they’ll have a shot. Six of Snead’s nine touchdown passes have come on the road, while seven of his nine interceptions have come at home.
Midseason bowl projection: Liberty
Up next: Ole Miss travels to Alabama on Oct. 18 (2:30 p.m. CT/CBS).
7
Vanderbilt Commodores
Now that the Commodores’ magical run has come to an end, their bowl hopes may come down to one game: vs. Duke in Nashville on Oct. 25. Kentucky and Tennessee look to be winnable games, but it’s hard to hand out Ws to a team that mustered just 107 yards of offense in a loss to Mississippi State. Quarterback Chris Nickson defines the term student-athlete, but Mackenzi Adams gives this team its best chance to win. Bobby Johnson may have made that call a few quarters too late.
Midseason bowl projection: Chick-fil-A
Up next: Vandy (5-1, 3-1) travels to UGA on Oct. 18 (12:30 p.m. ET/Raycom).
8
Kentucky Wildcats
In a 24-17 loss to South Carolina, the strongest area of this team didn’t have an answer for an inexperienced quarterback—Stephen Garcia—coming off the bench. And to make matters worse, the Wildcats (4-2, 0-2) lost their top offensive player—Dickey Lyons, Jr. (knee)—for the remainder of the season. Now the load will fall almost entirely to running back Derrick Locke and athlete/quarterback Randall Cobb to give the offense some juice.
Midseason bowl projection: Independence
Up next: UK hosts Arkansas on Oct. 18 (7 p.m. ET).
9
Arkansas Razorbacks
Darren McWho? Maybe losing two running backs to the first round of the NFL Draft wasn’t such a bad thing after all. In leading the SEC in rushing, Michael Smith, fresh from a 176-yard performance in the Razorbacks’ upset of Auburn, has stepped into the Bigfoot-sized addidas cleats left behind by Darren McFadden and Felix Jones quite well.
Midseason bowl projection: None
Up next: The Hogs (3-3, 1-2) travel to UK on Oct. 18 (7 p.m. ET).
10
Auburn Tigers
Since last we met, the following has taken place down on the Plains: Tony Frankin was dismissed as offensive coordinator and the Tigers (4-3, 2-3) lost at home to an Arkansas team that I thought might take the collar in league play this season. For all the talk about this team’s offensive woes, the biggest red flag when looking at this team might be the 416 yards its heralded defense gave up to the Razorbacks. Tommy Tuberville was motivated enough to not only survive a coup attempt in 2003, but to take the program to unprecedented heights one year later. Five years later, there are questions about whether he has the same fire in his gut.
Midseason bowl projection: Music City
Up next: AU travels to West Virginia on Oct. 23 (6:30 p.m. CT/ESPN).
11
Tennessee Volunteers
The 26-14 final didn’t indicate the lengths at which Georgia dominated the Vols (2-4; 0-3), but stats like total yards (UT: 209; UGA: 458) and time of possession (UT: 17:56, UGA: 42:04) certainly did. If nothing else, the Nick Stephens experiment at quarterback has show us what Phillip Rivers would have looked like in a Tennessee uniform.
Midseason bowl projection: Papa John’s
Up next: UT hosts MSU on Oct. 18 (7 p.m. ET).
12
Mississippi State Bulldogs
So much for the much anticipated 0-fer bowl pitting State (2-4, 1-2) against Arkansas on Nov. 22. That’s right, on the same day that Tennessee, Auburn and LSU lost games, the Dogs and Hogs got league wins. In throwing for 81 yards and a touchdowns, Tyson Lee wasn’t prolific by any means—but he’s definitely a step up from Wesley Carroll.
Midseason bowl projection: None
Up next: The Bullies travel to UT on Oct. 18 (7 p.m. ET).
Friday, October 17, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Unified #2 in both Polls, Report Card For Bama...
‘A’ is for Alabama Midseason report card shows
By Christopher Walsh Sports Writer
TUSCALOOSA If one were to try and find a signature moment from the first half of the University of Alabama football team’s 2008 season, there would be numerous choices.
Junior running back Glen Coffee’s long touchdown runs against Arkansas and Kentucky? True freshman wide receiver Julio Jones’ over-the-shoulder touchdown catch at Georgia? Junior cornerback Javier Arenas’ punt return for a touchdown vs. Tulane?
Those were all good, but not quite worthy.
More appropriate would be something like the offensive line blowing No. 9 Clemson’s defensive front off the line of scrimmage on the first snap at the Georgia Dome. Junior Terrence Cody pushing the Western Kentucky center back into his running back, forcing a fumble the nose guard recovered. All the brutal hits by players like sophomore middle linebacker Rolando McClain and senior tight end Travis McCall.
Above everything else, Alabama’s 6-0 start and rise to No. 2 is due to its toughness, mentally and physically. That includes few penalties, few costly mistakes, and domination of the lines and up the middle defensively.
“I think there are a lot of lessons to be learned as well,” coach Nick Saban said. “In what has happened in the first half of the season being intensity that has fueled our success. That is something we need to maintain in practice and preparation and improving over this bye week.
“We don’t need to be looking into the rear view mirror here. We need to be looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
With six regular-season games remaining, the Crimson Tide is half-way to representing the Western Division in the SEC Championship Game, and it will likely take at least three losses to keep the Tide from playing in an elite Bowl Championship Series game.
That’s a far cry from a year ago, when Alabama finished November with a four-game collapse, including the embarrassing 21-14 home loss to Louisiana-Monroe.
“I don’t see that happening,” junior running back Roy Upchurch said. “Everyone’s really into the season. Everybody wants to be that team.”
Here are the midseason grades:
Quarterbacks: One of senior John Parker Wilson’s most impressive decisions came on a play few people noticed. Alabama had first down at its own 37 during the second quarter at Georgia, and was in a three-receiver set with senior tight end Nick Walker in motion to the right. With the snap, Wilson looked right, where redshirt freshman Marquis Maze headed downfield and Walker was underneath. He then turned toward the middle, where Jones had run a clearing route. Still no one was open, so he went to option three, a dump pass to Coffee for a 6-yard gain.
Five plays after going through that progression, Wilson threw the spectacular touchdown pass to Jones, for a 31-0 lead against the No. 3 Bulldogs.
Something else most fans probably haven’t noticed is that his arm strength has significantly improved.
Although Wilson’s numbers are down from a year ago, he also hasn’t had to try and win a game. His consistency needs to be better, but his passing efficiency is actually up, and he’s had just two interceptions.
“We’re just taking care of the ball,” Wilson said. “That’s been a big point for me, from last year, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job of it.
“Just be smart with the ball.”
Grade: B+.
Running backs: Coffee is averaging 7.5 yards every time he takes a handoff, which is frightfully good. To put that into perspective, Arkansas’ Darren McFadden had a 5.6 average last year.
Coffee, true freshman Mark Ingram and junior Roy Upchurch have been a terrific rotation, and their blocking has been pretty good, too. But the fumbling is a concern. Alabama has had nine fumbles, losing five.
One has to wonder if the Tide will unleash Terry Grant on an unsuspecting opponent soon, but even Coffee said he would have been surprised by his numbers of 708 yards on 95 carries (118.0 game average) if told them before the season.
“I would have been excited,” Coffee said. “Right now, I’m not because it’s a grind. But before the season, I can’t lie, I would have been excited.”
Grade: A-.
Wide receivers: Jones is already Wilson’s top target, with 19 catches for 278 yards, but outside of senior end Nick Walker no one has more that seven receptions.
“He’s probably starting to play a little faster,” Saban said about Jones. “Probably playing with a little more confidence, still probably learning every day. There are some things he can still do better. I think he played extremely well in the Georgia game, made a couple of big plays in that game. But the one thing that probably stands out to me is the physical nature of the way he plays, especially when he goes and gets the long ball.”
While the young receiving corps figures to improve over the next six games, and must do a better job of getting yards after the catch, two major pluses are the unit’s blocking and diversity. So far, 15 different players have caught a pass and unlike in the past it’s almost impossible to tell if the play is a run by who’s in at wideout.
Grade: B.
Offensive line: All three players on the left side — Andre Smith, Mike Johnson and Antoine Caldwell — figure to receive major consideration for All-SEC honors. Junior Drew Davis has fared well against some talented defensive ends, while sophomore David Ross filled in when Smith and senior Marlon Davis missed a game due to injuries. The biggest concern is depth, but true freshman John Michael Boswell may be close to stepping in at right tackle if necessary.
The most underrated player on the team is McCall, who is like an extra offensive lineman, and Alabama’s two-tight end formation has been giving opponents fits.
“That’s a good set for us,” McCall said. “I like playing two tights.”
Grade: A.
Defensive line: No opponent has been able to run up the middle, where Cody has regularly attracted two, if not three, blockers. He’s a huge reason why Alabama’s rushing defense is second nationally (50.8 yards per game).
“As the season progresses, you start finding your strengths and your weaknesses, recognizing tendencies in the person you’re facing,” junior end Brandon Deaderick said. “It helps you perform better.”
The two-deep rotation at all three spots could pay huge dividends down the stretch, and junior end Lorenzo Washington is someone to keep an eye on. The defense has only 10 sacks, but expect more during the stretch run.
“We still have a lot of improvement (to go),” Cody said. “Just little things and stuff, we need to get better on. We’ve been affecting the quarterback and stopping the run.”
Grade: A-.
Linebackers: Sophomore Rolando McClain is emerging as a premier linebacker, one of the best in the conference. His 44 tackles are tops the Tide, while he has 3½ tackles for a loss and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Something new this year is calling audibles, sometimes more than one a play to answer offensive adjustments.
“Rol is really a bright guy and he has a good understanding of what we’re doing and what the other team is trying to do,” Saban said. “Between him and Rashad (Johnson) being the two signal callers, being able to do that really gives us an advantage.”
Considering three starters had to be replaced, the linebacker corps probably has no business performing this well. True freshman Dont’a Hightower got thrown into the fire while junior Brandon Fanney and Cory Reamer have been solid at the outside spots. Junior Eryk Anders’ development as a speed-rusher has been a nice surprise, while true freshman Courtney Upshaw is already forcing more playing time.
Grade: B+.
Defensive backs: Much has been made of the front-line pressure making it difficult for offenses to attack down field, but it’s also due to opponents respecting Alabama’s speed in the secondary and the awareness of senior safety Rashad Johnson.
Because the co-captain moves around so much and can quickly break on a ball, not to mention Saban’s complex zone scheme, quarterbacks have struggled to make accurate pre-snap reads. With junior safety Justin Woodall also improving, challenging the Tide over the middle can be incredibly risky.
“We have a lot of speed flying around back there, Javier, Kareem (Jackson), Justin, Marquis (Johnson),” Rashad Johnson said. “We’re all doing a good job of knowing what’s going on before the play even starts. The coaching staff, they teach us to look at the splits of the receivers and things like that to understand the routes that are going to be run. It’s a head start.”
The proof isn’t in the eight interceptions, but the pass defended. Rashad Johnson and Woodall are second in the SEC (1.33 average), while Jackson is tied for fourth (1.00).
“I need some picks,” Arenas said. “I can do better.”
Grade: B.
Special teams: Coverage on returns has been the team’s biggest weakness, while opponents want nothing to do with Arenas. Kentucky did a good job of playing keep away, and moving him around on punts returns which helped lead to the ball hitting blocker Marquis Johnson for a fumble.
“Good punter,” Arenas said.
As for his outlook from here on in, Arenas said: “It’s going down, for real. Anytime the ball is in my hands, I’m going to try and make something happen.”
Grade: B-.
Overall/coaching: The job Saban’s staff has done is remarkable, especially considering the Tide has nine scholarship seniors and there is a lack of depth. Unless Bobby Johnson can keep Vanderbilt winning, Saban could be named SEC Coach of the Year.
Grade: A.
By Christopher Walsh Sports Writer
TUSCALOOSA If one were to try and find a signature moment from the first half of the University of Alabama football team’s 2008 season, there would be numerous choices.
Junior running back Glen Coffee’s long touchdown runs against Arkansas and Kentucky? True freshman wide receiver Julio Jones’ over-the-shoulder touchdown catch at Georgia? Junior cornerback Javier Arenas’ punt return for a touchdown vs. Tulane?
Those were all good, but not quite worthy.
More appropriate would be something like the offensive line blowing No. 9 Clemson’s defensive front off the line of scrimmage on the first snap at the Georgia Dome. Junior Terrence Cody pushing the Western Kentucky center back into his running back, forcing a fumble the nose guard recovered. All the brutal hits by players like sophomore middle linebacker Rolando McClain and senior tight end Travis McCall.
Above everything else, Alabama’s 6-0 start and rise to No. 2 is due to its toughness, mentally and physically. That includes few penalties, few costly mistakes, and domination of the lines and up the middle defensively.
“I think there are a lot of lessons to be learned as well,” coach Nick Saban said. “In what has happened in the first half of the season being intensity that has fueled our success. That is something we need to maintain in practice and preparation and improving over this bye week.
“We don’t need to be looking into the rear view mirror here. We need to be looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
With six regular-season games remaining, the Crimson Tide is half-way to representing the Western Division in the SEC Championship Game, and it will likely take at least three losses to keep the Tide from playing in an elite Bowl Championship Series game.
That’s a far cry from a year ago, when Alabama finished November with a four-game collapse, including the embarrassing 21-14 home loss to Louisiana-Monroe.
“I don’t see that happening,” junior running back Roy Upchurch said. “Everyone’s really into the season. Everybody wants to be that team.”
Here are the midseason grades:
Quarterbacks: One of senior John Parker Wilson’s most impressive decisions came on a play few people noticed. Alabama had first down at its own 37 during the second quarter at Georgia, and was in a three-receiver set with senior tight end Nick Walker in motion to the right. With the snap, Wilson looked right, where redshirt freshman Marquis Maze headed downfield and Walker was underneath. He then turned toward the middle, where Jones had run a clearing route. Still no one was open, so he went to option three, a dump pass to Coffee for a 6-yard gain.
Five plays after going through that progression, Wilson threw the spectacular touchdown pass to Jones, for a 31-0 lead against the No. 3 Bulldogs.
Something else most fans probably haven’t noticed is that his arm strength has significantly improved.
Although Wilson’s numbers are down from a year ago, he also hasn’t had to try and win a game. His consistency needs to be better, but his passing efficiency is actually up, and he’s had just two interceptions.
“We’re just taking care of the ball,” Wilson said. “That’s been a big point for me, from last year, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job of it.
“Just be smart with the ball.”
Grade: B+.
Running backs: Coffee is averaging 7.5 yards every time he takes a handoff, which is frightfully good. To put that into perspective, Arkansas’ Darren McFadden had a 5.6 average last year.
Coffee, true freshman Mark Ingram and junior Roy Upchurch have been a terrific rotation, and their blocking has been pretty good, too. But the fumbling is a concern. Alabama has had nine fumbles, losing five.
One has to wonder if the Tide will unleash Terry Grant on an unsuspecting opponent soon, but even Coffee said he would have been surprised by his numbers of 708 yards on 95 carries (118.0 game average) if told them before the season.
“I would have been excited,” Coffee said. “Right now, I’m not because it’s a grind. But before the season, I can’t lie, I would have been excited.”
Grade: A-.
Wide receivers: Jones is already Wilson’s top target, with 19 catches for 278 yards, but outside of senior end Nick Walker no one has more that seven receptions.
“He’s probably starting to play a little faster,” Saban said about Jones. “Probably playing with a little more confidence, still probably learning every day. There are some things he can still do better. I think he played extremely well in the Georgia game, made a couple of big plays in that game. But the one thing that probably stands out to me is the physical nature of the way he plays, especially when he goes and gets the long ball.”
While the young receiving corps figures to improve over the next six games, and must do a better job of getting yards after the catch, two major pluses are the unit’s blocking and diversity. So far, 15 different players have caught a pass and unlike in the past it’s almost impossible to tell if the play is a run by who’s in at wideout.
Grade: B.
Offensive line: All three players on the left side — Andre Smith, Mike Johnson and Antoine Caldwell — figure to receive major consideration for All-SEC honors. Junior Drew Davis has fared well against some talented defensive ends, while sophomore David Ross filled in when Smith and senior Marlon Davis missed a game due to injuries. The biggest concern is depth, but true freshman John Michael Boswell may be close to stepping in at right tackle if necessary.
The most underrated player on the team is McCall, who is like an extra offensive lineman, and Alabama’s two-tight end formation has been giving opponents fits.
“That’s a good set for us,” McCall said. “I like playing two tights.”
Grade: A.
Defensive line: No opponent has been able to run up the middle, where Cody has regularly attracted two, if not three, blockers. He’s a huge reason why Alabama’s rushing defense is second nationally (50.8 yards per game).
“As the season progresses, you start finding your strengths and your weaknesses, recognizing tendencies in the person you’re facing,” junior end Brandon Deaderick said. “It helps you perform better.”
The two-deep rotation at all three spots could pay huge dividends down the stretch, and junior end Lorenzo Washington is someone to keep an eye on. The defense has only 10 sacks, but expect more during the stretch run.
“We still have a lot of improvement (to go),” Cody said. “Just little things and stuff, we need to get better on. We’ve been affecting the quarterback and stopping the run.”
Grade: A-.
Linebackers: Sophomore Rolando McClain is emerging as a premier linebacker, one of the best in the conference. His 44 tackles are tops the Tide, while he has 3½ tackles for a loss and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Something new this year is calling audibles, sometimes more than one a play to answer offensive adjustments.
“Rol is really a bright guy and he has a good understanding of what we’re doing and what the other team is trying to do,” Saban said. “Between him and Rashad (Johnson) being the two signal callers, being able to do that really gives us an advantage.”
Considering three starters had to be replaced, the linebacker corps probably has no business performing this well. True freshman Dont’a Hightower got thrown into the fire while junior Brandon Fanney and Cory Reamer have been solid at the outside spots. Junior Eryk Anders’ development as a speed-rusher has been a nice surprise, while true freshman Courtney Upshaw is already forcing more playing time.
Grade: B+.
Defensive backs: Much has been made of the front-line pressure making it difficult for offenses to attack down field, but it’s also due to opponents respecting Alabama’s speed in the secondary and the awareness of senior safety Rashad Johnson.
Because the co-captain moves around so much and can quickly break on a ball, not to mention Saban’s complex zone scheme, quarterbacks have struggled to make accurate pre-snap reads. With junior safety Justin Woodall also improving, challenging the Tide over the middle can be incredibly risky.
“We have a lot of speed flying around back there, Javier, Kareem (Jackson), Justin, Marquis (Johnson),” Rashad Johnson said. “We’re all doing a good job of knowing what’s going on before the play even starts. The coaching staff, they teach us to look at the splits of the receivers and things like that to understand the routes that are going to be run. It’s a head start.”
The proof isn’t in the eight interceptions, but the pass defended. Rashad Johnson and Woodall are second in the SEC (1.33 average), while Jackson is tied for fourth (1.00).
“I need some picks,” Arenas said. “I can do better.”
Grade: B.
Special teams: Coverage on returns has been the team’s biggest weakness, while opponents want nothing to do with Arenas. Kentucky did a good job of playing keep away, and moving him around on punts returns which helped lead to the ball hitting blocker Marquis Johnson for a fumble.
“Good punter,” Arenas said.
As for his outlook from here on in, Arenas said: “It’s going down, for real. Anytime the ball is in my hands, I’m going to try and make something happen.”
Grade: B-.
Overall/coaching: The job Saban’s staff has done is remarkable, especially considering the Tide has nine scholarship seniors and there is a lack of depth. Unless Bobby Johnson can keep Vanderbilt winning, Saban could be named SEC Coach of the Year.
Grade: A.
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