Week 6 Thoughts

We're hitting the best month of the Sports Calendar. No matter what you're a fan of, October is the time when your sport is covered. Though I quit paying attention to baseball a month ago (and apparently, so did the Braves), this is the month that fans of the nation's favorite pastime get their World Series. NBA talk also starts up (even though they just finished their Finals) and the NHL has apparently gotten started (or is winding down) - I don't really know since it's broadcast on Channel 1. Even golf and NASCAR get their time on Sportscenter.

But the big talk is football with the NFL heating up and almost everyday of the week having some pigskin broadcast; still, October is really the month for College Football. September is fun with the newness of the season, and November is great with the big rivalries, but October is the meat of the season where teams really start separating from the herd.

Last week, Alabama ran over Florida, and, shockingly, everyone is jumping off the Gator ship, but people should remember that winning in Tuscaloosa is almost impossible right now. They have a grinding running game, a QB that limits mistakes, a defense that brings pressure; all of which play before 94,000-plus rabid Alabama fans. More importantly, they don't beat themselves, which is a Saban-trademark. It will take a very confident and very talented team to win there, and Florida meets only about half that requirement.

I now have five teams that I would put in the upper echelon: Alabama, Boise State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon. While Bama, Oregon and Boise have earned their place, and Ohio State is up there on talent and presumption, Nebraska really showed me something last night. I don't mean to make much on a middling K-State team, but Nebraska went into a wild atmosphere on a Thursday night and didn't give the Wildcats a chance. QB Martinez is a redshirt frosh and likely to make some mistakes, but the defense won't let a game get away from them and the Big XII North is atrocious. Don't be surprised if the Cornhuskers end the season unbeaten.

This week's Big Games:

Surely, this can't be legal.

Alabama at South Carolina: So I have a wedding to attend at 5 p.m. on Nov. 13, which is the day of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. I say this because I need USC to remain a game within Florida so that the USC-Florida game on Nov. 13 gets the 3:30 p.m. CBS coverage, and Auburn-UGA will be at night (or, if UGA can keep falling, maybe noon). All that to say that I'm pulling for the Gamecocks tomorrow... that and they're playing ALABAMA!

Not that it'll matter. Even though Bama is coming off two hard fought games and USC had a bye weekend and it's in Columbia, I don't see too much of a letdown this weekend from Saban's team.

Although everyone was pointing at the trip to Fayetteville, I thought that this was the week that would give the Tide the most trouble.  The Gamecocks could test the Tide secondary if Spurrier will stay off Garcia's back (that won't happen). Marcus Lattimore is really going to be welcomed to SEC defenses by Marcell Dareus, who just seemed to dominate the Florida line last week. All that being said, I took USC and the points. But I'm a homer.

Auburn at Kentucky: Ok, let's try this again. After last season's 5-0 start, the Tigers are right back at it. Last season at this time, Auburn dropped a morning game in Arkansas, which was the beginning of a 3-game losing streak, including a home loss to the Wildcats.

With this being the Tigers' first road game since Week 2, I'm interested to see if Auburn's offense travels better. While all the focus has been on Cam Newton's offense (and rightly so), the real reason Auburn has a shot at winning the West (or at least going to Orlando), is the defense. which is actually stopping people and has some depth to keep players fresh. The secondary is still getting poor play from the safeties, but I don't see that leading to the Tigers downfall in Lexington. Now, next week...

LSU at Florida: I knew the UT game would be close for LSU: Tennessee plays solid defense, LSU can't throw the ball, it was during the day, and of course, there's Les. Everything that could be said about Miles has been'. The only thing I'll add is that over the week, I've asked many fans how they would describe the Les Miles era in one word. Everyone's response: Luck.

Come on Les! Fingers together and clap!
You'll get it one day.

Beginning with taking over one of the most deeply recruited teams in the nation, to the '07 last second TD pass to beat Auburn, to getting a poor Tennessee squad instead of hot Georgia in the '07 SEC Championship game, to winning the national title with two-losses, to all the bumbling time management mistakes, to no one noticing he's too dumb to know how to clap, to being out Miles-ed by Dooley, everything the Mad Hatter does turns to gold, but it's all been through sheer dumb luck.

But even the Les Luck won't help this weekend in Gainesville, where I'm unsure if the Tigers will cross midfield. Still, LSU does have a good defense and the Gators 'O' is struggling with a non-spread QB running a spread attack. In a game that might remind some of the 3-2 Auburn-Mississippi State game, Florida wins at home, probably covering the spread (but hopefully due to a Miles boneheaded mistake).

Tennessee at Georgia: Shockingly, these two enter with the worst combined record in 105 years. From the beginning, this season looked dire on Rocky Top, but no one was expecting 1-4 in Athens. Tennessee is reeling from the loss in Baton Rouge, and while they're 2-3, it's starting to look like every game is a UT Bowl game, and they're playing like it.

One last game for Russ, who will hand over the
reins (and reign) to Uga XIII. Will Russ end at 4-4 or 3-5?

UGA is an unusual team; it's not like they're getting resoundingly beaten, but they're just finding ways to lose. I've been harping about the difficulties they'll have on the road, but at 1-4, the question is whether they have any fight left for the home games.  That's where Mark Richt comes in - if he can't get them up for the Vols, then he's lost the team. And that just might be a bigger mark on him than poor management, discipline, coaching or recruiting. 

Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (Arlington, Texas): I'm not sure who'll win this one. From an SEC perspective (and a hope that Auburn-Arkansas will get the CBS time-slot), I'm pulling for the Hogs. But this should be a fun, offensive shoot-out. Arkansas has the better defense, so I'd take the Razorbacks. 

Michigan State at Michigan: I have Denard Robinson on my fantasy football team (I'm doing reaaally well), but he can't consistently overcome a defense that is worse than what Auburn fielded in 2009. MSU takes this one by having a dominating running that keeps Robinson off the field. 

Florida State at Miami: A game that once would have gotten the full attention of the sports world won't even be nationally broadcast (as some will get a meaningless USC-Stanford game instead - doesn't it seem that all USC games are just exhibitions?).

Miami is a 7-point favorite, but I can't put any faith in Jacorby 'I can't remember if my name is spelled with a R or a B, so I use both' Harris. I took FSU and the points (though I don't like 'Can't Spell Christian without INT' Ponder much more).

But even though they've fallen off the national scene, Canes and Noles fans can't complain. They're still in Florida and they still have fans like these.