Iron Bowl is here. Can Auburn do the impossible? Not likely, but you never know in this game. It should be competitive. Another huge game in Baton Rouge on Friday as Arkansas tries to somehow make it to the BCS title game. Beating LSU would be huge for this program regardless. Here is this week’s analyses and predictions>
Last week 8-6; 80-33 overall
‘Bama @ AU; Saturday, 2:30 PM, CBS
Alabama had trouble stopping the run last week against Georgia Southern and I’m sure Gus Malzahn took notice of that. Auburn is going to try and run the football in different ways, maybe run some option, off tackle, sweeps. They have to do that to have a chance. They’ve got good wide receivers. If Moseley can get some time maybe he can get the ball to Blake, Lutz and Reed. Lutz is somebody they need to target seven or eight times this game. Even more
For ‘Bama, it’s Trent, Trent, more Trent and throw in some Eddie for good measure. A.J. needs to be S’s game manager and get the ball to Trent on screens and get the ball to the new emerging target, Brad Smelley. He needs Maze and Hanks to give some opportunities, too. Not sold on A.J., but he’s good enough for Tide to have shot to win it all. Looks like most of the players will be back: Barrett, Josh C. and I guess the players who were suspended: Nick Gentry and DeAndrew White. These football programs keep these suspensions so internal that you have no clue what the player did. It’s almost like national security; which is pretty much ridiculous. I understand you may have to protect the players, but in another way I don’t. These players are so glorified by the media and the public that when they make mistakes, they need to be held accountable. I know there is a tremendous amount of pressure on these coaches to win; an unreasonable amount really. But sometimes, you have to send a message to your team that this bad behavior won’t be tolerated. The media around here isn’t even reporting on what Gentry and White did. And what about Brent Calloway? He was suspended indefinitely but there is no reporting on that situation at all. I know he was smoking pot, but all that is reported is how it’s going to affect the running back rotation next year. What happened to objectivity? Seems like the reporters are more interested in cheering for the team rather than being professionals and reporting the news-sports. I wish there was more accountability for athletes these days. Maybe that will change.
Makes me wonder how much they allow these days when Joe Paterno was accused by a dean of discipline of telling the administration he would handle all discipline problems and to not interfere. There were a lot of personal mistakes by his players, some that were pretty bad. But the great Paterno was held on such a pedestal, that he wasn’t accountable to anyone. And we know about Sandusky. That was heinous. Turns out Paterno wasn’t such a great guy after all.
So we don’t know what White and Gentry did. Isaiah Crowell at Georgia was smoking pot and he’s a questionable kid. Richt gives out that tough punishment of a one game suspension for the New Mexico State game. These kids really learn a lesson by being suspended for the blowout games. It’s kind of a travesty. Miles did the same at LSU with his pot smoking players and Jordan Jefferson put a guy maybe a couple more in the hospital and now he’s the starting quarterback. Doesn’t seem right. Saban had a situation with freshman Brent Calloway, who was smoking pot. I don’t know what coaches do these days. There is so much pressure to win, but that’s really not an excuse. Coaches are glorified and they’re villified, but maybe they ought to try and do the right thing for the integrity of their program. I’d like to see a coach take a real stand and send a message to his team that he’s going to pay the consequences for his actions. If he smokes pot, or gets in a fight and beats somebody up he’s off the team. It’s called integrity. I’m not sure how much these coaches have. Really, I don’t know if some coaches have ever had integrity throughout the years. Joe Paterno was supposed to be the perfect role model and disciplinarian, but that was a joke. There needs to be someone who steps up and does the right thing. Suspending players for a cupcake game is not discipline. Maybe we’ll hear of some coaches who want to do the right thing and show some character and integrity. That would be a pleasant surprise. Oh well. Life at the factories. Vanderbilt had a player who committed armed robbery last week and there has been nothing written about it. I hope James Franklin doesn’t allow him back on the team. Somebody needs to take a stand. Do the right thing. I’m hopeful things will change. These kids need to learn valuable lessons about life. Because if they don’t pay for their actions, they’ll never know how to act and probably end up in jail. That would be a waste.
Anyway, like Alabama to take care of business in this one. AU will play hard–they’re trying–just don’t have the experience and horses yet that Alabama has. The defense should be in good shape for Tide. Dont’a and the boys should be pretty dominant though I’m not totally sold on the secondary. Think they’re good players, but they’ve struggled at times this year. Could be a challenge for them if they get to national title game though if it’s LSU, they won’t be tested as severely in the passing game. If it’s Arkansas, that could be interesting. Arkansas a lot better on offense than they were in first game with Tide. Like the Tide though over Tigers. If Michael Dyer and Onterion McCalebb can run the ball and open up some things for Clint Moseley, AU could make it interesting. It should be competitive for a while. But I think Trent and Eddie will be too much in the end for the Tigers to stop even though AU will load the box and probably put a spy on Trent. Just don’t think they can totally stop him. He’s just too good and A.J. will do enough in the passing game. Maze could run a punt back, too.
Alabama 28, Auburn 7
Arkansas @ LSU; Friday 1:30 PM, CBS
Arkansas has a real shot here. I like Arkansas as a matter of fact. Think Tyler Wilson, an excellent running game, an amazing receiving corps and a now pretty good defense will get Arkansas over the top. Everybody is picking LSU, but I like the Hogs. That will make things really interesting in the BCS and I think it’s going to happen. I think LSU could still go to the SEC title game even if they lose. That is my understanding using the BCS tiebreaker rule. If LSU loses and they’re five places within reach of Alabama in the BCS, they still could still go, though they might be behind Arkansas, though they might not if it’s very close, which it should be. So Arkansas can win this game and still not get a shot because they lost at Alabama. They are playing great football right now though. LSU’s offense is nothing special, kind of like Alabama’s, so I think the Razorbacks can put up 28 and defeat the Bengal Tigers. If Hogs do, they have a shot at the national title. Not out of it yet.
Hogs 28, Bayou Bengals 24
SEC games and games involving SEC teams on Saturday:
Georgia @ Georgia Tech; 11 AM, ESPN: Georgia did not play well against Kentucky last week and I they don’t have Crowell and they’re second string guy, Carlton Thomas, is going through “personal issues.” So not sure who’s going to suit up at tailback for ‘Dogs. Tech has a good offense but not much defense. Aaron Murray should have a big day, but so should the Tech running game. Like Ga to get it done and but not by much.
Ga 35, Tech 31
Tennessee @ Kentucky; 11:21 AM, SEC Network
Vols got a controversial victory over Vandy last week on a phantom whistle in overtime on an interception by UT that was whistled down, but called a touchdown anyway. Vols have a future NFL All-Pro at wide receiver in Da’Rick Rogers. The guy is amazing. Ky struggled mightily this year, but played better against Ga, losing 19-10. Think this could be a pretty good game. UT not great, but they do have some great athletes on both sides of the ball. Tyler Bray should be even better this week. He’s a good quarterback. Makes mistakes, but has a chance to be excellent in the rest of the season and next year if he can cut down on his ints. Kentucky just doesn’t have enough on offense and the defense is not that great though they have a couple of good players on that side of the ball. Like the Vols to take this one and make another bowl as Derek Dooley tries to rebuild this program into an upper echelon team once again in the SEC and a player in the national scene.
Vols 28, Ky 14
Vanderbilt @Wake Forest; 2:30 PM, ESPNU
‘Dores desperately trying to reach another bowl game. This will be tough for them. Wake a solid team which beat Florida State, 35-31, and crushed Maryland last week, 31-10. They’re 6-5 and going to a bowl game with a young team. Jim Grobe is an excellent coach. James Franklin doing some great things at Vandy and has recruited outstandingly well for 2012. This would be huge for Vandy to pull this off. Quarterback Jordan Rodgers needs to improve this week. I think he will.
VU 31, Wake 27
Florida State @ Florida; 6 PM, ESPN2
Florida is an erratic team. Don’t know what you’re going to get week to week. The same can be said for FSU. FSU lost a heartbreaker to a pretty good Virginia team last week. Florida had some trouble with Furman but pulled away. I like FSU in this one though. Just don’t trust the Gators.
‘Noles 28, Gators 21
Ole Miss @ Ms. State; 6 PM, ESPNU
State has had a very disappointing year. Ole Miss has even been worse. Talk now is that Gus Malzahn is going to be the new Ole Miss coach as Skip Holtz looks to be the favorite at North Carolina. It’s just been a difficult year for Houston Nutt. Doesn’t have much character on this team and they seem to have quit halfway through the season. State trying for a bowl game in what has been a very disappointing year for Dan Mullen, who had his sights set on a possible Western division title, but Chris Relf turned into a bust and their offense just never got it back after the Auburn loss. Still like State to handle business here, move to 6-6 and qualify for a bowl game. Ole Miss just trying to finish the season and get a new coach.
State 27, Rebels 10
Clemson @ South Carolina; 6:45 PM, ESPN
SC has won nine this year without Marcus Lattimore the last three games. Connor Shaw has been pretty good. Clemson got crushed by NC State last week. You just can’t trust Dabo. Know he’s a good person, but his teams always break down at crucial times. Like Shaw, Alshon Jeffery and company to get it done and get SC to 10 wins and a very nice New Year’s bowl game. Outback, Capital One or Jan. 6 at the Cotton Bowl. One of those.
SC 27, Clemson 21
UAB @ Florida Atlantic; 3 PM, No TV:
Blazers should be on somewhere on the dish, just not sure what channel. FAU is 0-10, but these are the games Blazers need to be careful in and take care of business and execute. They’re coming off a huge victory over Southern Miss and Neil Callaway’s job status is looking better. He needs to get’er done here and get the Blazers to four wins which includes solid victories over Central Florida, Memphis and Southern Miss. I think that’s enough with the youth he has on this football team, a young highly talented quarterback in Jonathan Perry and some excellent skilled players, to give Coach Callaway another shot in 2012. He needs to get some linemen coached up for next year and if he does this should be a fun offense to watch. Defense has to get better. Bent but didn’t break against Southern Miss. Callaway is a solid football coach and I thought he and his staff did a terrific job against Southern Miss. He’s a good man, too, and I think he can get this program in good shape next year and the following years. I may be in a minority, but I talked to Coach Callaway last week and see him as a solid football coach. UAB needs a new stadium without a doubt, but I think they should give their football coach some more time to get this thing going in the right direction. He has caught a lot of heat and stayed the course and the victories over UCF, Memphis and Southern Miss were impressive.
Blazers 45, FAU 10
Other national games:
Virginia 28, Virginia Tech 27
Duke 31, North Carolina 28
Wisconsin 35, Penn State 21
Michigan 31, Ohio State 14
Notre Dame 31, Stanford 28
USC 42, UCLA 28
(Trent and Dyer square off in Auburn.)