Championship Week

All right. Everything comes down to this week to determine the BCS bowl games. Should be an interesting weekend...

Thursday
(BASICALLY) Pac 10 Championship- OREGON o Oregon State (WIN)

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP- GEORGIA TECH o Clemson
The Yellow Jackets were one of the hottest teams to end the regular season last year but missed out on the opportunity to show it in the conference title game. This year, they have commanded the ACC. This might be the closest championship game of the day. Clemson does still hold resentment against Tech for beating them early in the season. But, I think Tech is simply better than Clemson and makes and will head to Miami for the Orange Bowl

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP- TEXAS o Nebraska
The Big12 North is not and hasn’t been for years near the competitive levels of the Big12 South. The game features to historical powers but Texas is so much better that the Cornhuskers, the game shouldn’t be close.

(BASICALLY) BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP- CINCINNATI o Pitt
The Bearcats have really been disrespected this year. No hype for an undefeated BCS team. Now, I am not saying they are better than an unbeaten TCU, but if this was West Virginia or Pitt, a lot of people would be talking about this team. Tony Pike has looked fully recovered from the shoulder injury for the past two weeks and should lead the Cats to a second straight BCS bowl berth.

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP- FLORIDA o Alabama
This is a tough game to call. Each week I am not sure who will win this one. They have been 1 and 2 for most of the season. When one team struggles, the other looks unstoppable and vice versa. No matter what, this game will be close. Tim Tebow has too much heart and is too much of a leader to let this one get away at the end. And so for the second straight year the Gators will beat the Tide and head to Pasadena for the National Title. (I did project this at the beginning of the season…no big deal or anything…)

WEEK 13 SEC Bowl Projections

NATIONAL TITLE- FLORIDA GATORS v Texas
Ok, I think I am done debating. Florida has been there before and will be there again. The Gators have so much talent they should be able to handle the Tide this week in Alabama and head to their third National Title in four years. It should be a great way to usher out the Tim Tebow era in Gator Nation.

SUGAR BOWL- ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE v Boise State
With their running back less than 100 percent in the SEC title, the Tide should fall to the Gators and land here. Low and behold, its another non-BCS team to take on. Hopefully, this year they don’t disappoint.

CAPITAL ONE BOWL- LSU TIGERS v Penn State
The Tigers almost even fell out of this bowl against Arkansas the last game of the season but should land here. Three losses is not really acceptable for the Tigers in Baton Rouge, but to make the third best SEC Bowl game shows this team is on the rise and should challenge the Tide for West supremacy next year.

COTTON BOWL- OLE MISS REBELS v Oklahoma State
The Rebels land in the Cotton Bowl and finish the season with 8 wins for the second straight year. Ole Miss did not really live up to expectations this season, which might be a good thing. Jevan Snead should comeback for his senior season and again be a contender in the West sleight.

OUTBACK BOWL- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS v Northwestern
How quickly one win could change your Bowl destination. The Outback Bowl was in attendance at the Kentucky/Tennessee game and was looking at the Cats. But with a dramatic win, a second place finish in the west, and proof that these guys travel, the Volunteers should be very appetizing to bring to Tampa.

CHIC FIL A BOWL- GEORGIA BULLDOGS v Virginia Tech
With the Bulldogs finishing in a tie with the Volunteers for second in the East, they should choose the bowl that is closest to home. What would be interesting is if the Yellow Jackets lose in the ACC title game, would they pair up Georgia Tech and Georgia?

MUSIC CITY BOWL- KENTUCKY WILDCATS v Clemson
In another rematch, the Wildcats will likely get a choice in the lower tier bowl games. This game would be the best choice for the Cats to rush Nashville and have time to get back for the basketball showdown against Louisville. Yes, here in Kentucky everything revolves around the round ball…even bowl selections!

LIBERTY BOWL- ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS v Houston
The Razorbacks quarterback Ryan Mallet has had such a good season and should only improve next year. Bobby Petrino’s squad should land in the Liberty Bowl due to closeness in proximity.

INDEPENDENCE BOWL- SOUTH CAROLINA v Iowa State
Another late season melt down for the Cocks and another lower tier bowl bid. The Gamecocks might have worked their way up with the Clemson win, but for now this is where they are projected.

PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL- AUBURN TIGERS v Uconn
The Tigers first season with Gene Chizik ends with a bowl game. Not sure if this is where it shakes out but it does make sense. The Tigers are within a stones throw from Birmingham and with this economy proximity is key for these bowl games.

WEEK 13 College Projections

All right. It is the final week of the regular season. I am excited to look at where I projected everyone to fall and see how close I was.
Right now in the SEC, other than Alabama and Florida to the BCS, there is still a lot to determine for where each team falls in the bowl season. The biggest game of the week has to be Kentucky against Tennessee. Love or hate Phillip Fulmer in Knoxville, the one thing that they could hang thier hat on is not losing thier finale to the Kentucky Wildcats. Lane Kiffin has had a up and down year and earlier this week down played the 24 straight wins over the Cats. On the other side, you know that Rich Brooks keeps draining this into his players heads. While working with Tom Leach on the "Rich Tradition" book about Coach Brooks he explained time and time again how important beating Tennessee is to him in reviving the program. Last week was a monumental win for the Cats in Athens and now it will be interesting to see if that momentum flows into Commonwealth on Saturday.
Here are the SEC Predictions and important College picks from around the country. Lets hope its a strong week! Happy Thanksgiving!

SEC WEEKLY PROJECTIONS
OVERALL RECORD- 67-23

Alabama @ Auburn
Last years Bama beat down of the Tigers sealed Tommy Tubberville’s fate as head coach of the Auburn Tigers. This game should be close, but should still go to the Tide. Nick Saban will have a team for a while in Tuscaloosa, so hopefully Auburn lessens their standards. Gene Chizik has had a good first year at Auburn.
WINNER- ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

Clemson @ South Carolina
This is just another year for Steve Spurrier in Columbia where the Cocks struggle down the stretch and don’t play to their potential. They had a bye week but I am not sure that will help against the Tigers. Clemson sewed up their division in the ACC last week and are gearing up for the ACC Championship next week. Victory goes to the Tigers, again.
WINNER- CLEMSON TIGERS

Mississippi @ Mississippi State
Dan Mullens has had his Bulldog team play well this season in his first year at the helm. Mississippi has its sights set on a BCS bowl berth this season but lost a few they shouldn’t and haven’t really come on strong until these past few weeks. Mississippi wins and they still advance in to a better bowl than last year.
WINNER- MISSISSIPPI REBELS

Florida @ Florida State
This could be the only SEC over ACC team on the sleight this week. The Gators are a stronger and better team than Florida State and should be able to win handily.
WINNER- FLORIDA GATORS

Arkansas @ LSU
The Tigers have been very, very unlucky the past two years losing the last game of the season to Arkansas and falling in bowl postioning. Last week was an embarrassing loss with the chaotic finish to the Rebels in Oxford. The only positive going for the Tigers is the home field advantage in Baton Rouge…and I think that will be enough.
WINNER- LSU TIGERS

Tennessee @ Kentucky
Each year Kentucky is getting closer and closer to the talent level in Knoxville. With a win Rich Brooks might ride off to the sunset in Lexington turning around yet another program. Kentucky has lost 23 straight times to the Vols and ending this streak has been on Rich Brooks mind since he took the job…
WINNER- KENTUCKY WILDCATS

Georgia @ Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets have played well enough to be “the” team in Georgia. I hope after this year they don’t even think about getting rid of Mark Richt in Athens. He is still one of the best coaches in the nation.
WINNER- GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS

College Projections
38-22
ACC-NORTH CAROLINA o NC State
BIG 12- TEXAS o Texas A+M
BIG EAST- CONNETICUIT o Syracuse
BIG 10- CINCINNATI o Illinois
PAC TEN- USC o Ucla

SEC Bowl Projections Week 12

Well, there is still not a lot of clarity in where some teams in the SEC will fall but with Mississippi's win, they made thier lives easier to land in the Capital One Bowl. Kentucky's first win in Athens for the first time in more than 30 years puts them in prime position to finish second in the SEC East division.
Still, Alabama and Florida continue to switch places. It is very hard, almost impossible to project until these two face off in Atlanta next week.
Anyways here is where each team is slotted for the after the week that was...

BCS NATIONAL TITLE- ALABAMA v Texas
The Crimson Tide have the Iron Bowl and the SEC title game, which has the winner going to the national title. Both teams have shown weaknesses but as the whole body of work, Alabama has been more consistant that the Gators and should win out and head to the national title game.

SUGAR BOWL- FLORIDA v Cincinnati
The Gators should beat Florida State and lose to the Tide in the Title game. This offense has really struggled this season and has relied too much on Tim Tebow. Bama’s defense will stop him this year unlike last year and head to New Orleans and the Sugar Bowl.

CAPITAL ONE BOWL- OLE MISS v Iowa
The Rebels took a huge step towards the second in the SEC West by beating LSU last week. The Rebels running game has been essential to the late surge…too bad they didn’t find this out until after Alabama and South Carolina…

COTTON BOWL- LSU v Nebraska
The Tigers have, once again, had no offensive production this year. LSU will finish third again in the West and land in Texas for the Cotton Bowl.

OUTBACK BOWL- KENTUCKY v Penn State
Hinging on a win over Tennessee at Commonwealth on Saturday, the Cats have the chance to play in a New Year’s Day Bowl for the first time in a long time. The Outback Bowl representatives were present in the Post Game victory over the Georgia Bulldogs and with a win, Kentucky will land here.

CHIC FIL A BOWL- GEORGIA v Virginia Tech
With a cluster of 7-5 teams, the Bulldogs should fall in Atlanta simply because of proximity. This has been a tumultuous year for the Dawgs…

MUSIC CITY BOWL- AUBURN v Clemson
The Tigers have reached bowl eligibility after missing it completely last year and should be chosen to play in Nashville for the Music City Bowl.

LIBERTY BOWL- ARKANSAS v East Carolina
Again, simply because of proximity, the Razorbacks should be the pick for the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.

PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL- TENNESSEE v Rutgers
The Volunteers reached bowl eligibility in Lane Kiffin’s first year as head coach. This is not going to be acceptable next year in Knoxville, but for year one the Vol Nation will take it.

INDEPENDENCE BOWL- SOUTH CAROLINA v Kansas
Entering this season, I didn’t see the Gamecocks as a bowl team, but they started hot and then fizzled out down the stretch; that is what happens every year. With the same SEC record as the Volunteers but a head to head loss, the Gamecocks will land in the lowest SEC bowl available.

College Picks Week 12

Last two weeks of the college football season. This is crazy! The year has gone by way too fast! Anyways, headed to Athens this week to cover the Georgia/Kentucky game. Its a pretty big game for both teams, but more importantly, a pretty cool place to see for me. To add to the specialness of this game, UGA passed away yesterday. I met UGA VII last year and Georgia has already come out and said there will be NO mascot at the game, only a wreath around the Dawgs house.

Anyways here is a picture of me and UGA VII. He will be missed!

Here are the College Projections for the week. Bowl Updates to come on Monday!

Chattanooga @ Alabama-
Next week is the Iron Bowl and then the SEC Championship game. Auburn thinks they get an advantage with a bye week this week to prep for Bama but in essence, so do the Tide.
WINNER- ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
Mississippi State @ Arkansas
The Bulldogs have played well in the first season under Coach Dan Mullens. They have rode Anthony Dixon to wins and are teetering with a bowl/non bowl season. A loss makes them ineligible and so heading to Fayetteville the Bulldogs will be full of emotion. The Razorbacks cinched up their own bowl future with a blow out win over Troy. With their bowl eligibility already in had, Arkansas will take a step back and lose to a desparate Mississippi State.
WINNER- MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
Florida International @ Florida
The Gators are done with SEC play until the title game. Florida will be playing it safe and hope to get ahead early to rest players.
WINNER- FLORIDA GATORS
LSU @ Mississippi
Mississippi’s “dream” schedule is about to conclude and so far they haven’t really lived up to expectations. They hosted Alabama and lost and now they host a bipolar LSU team. The Tigers and Mississippi have their eyes on the Capital One Bowl. This game is basically a playoff for that. The Rebels introduced a new aspect to their offense against Tennessee last week with a running game. In Oxford, the Rebels should be able to get the win. LSU is too inconstant and plays too close to continue to squeak by…
WINNER- OLE MISSISSIPPI REBELS
Vanderbilt @ Tennessee
After last seasons bowl winning season, the Commodores have come back down to earth losing every single SEC game and now close out the season with big brother, in state Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols will be angry about the embarrassing loss to Mississippi and still have a chance for a decent bowl game.
WINNER- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
Kentucky @ Georgia
The Kentucky Wildcats and the Georgia Bulldogs got to bowl eligibility last week and now they look for seeding. Last year’s match up the Cats nearly won, but fell behind too early to mount a comeback. This year, Kentucky comes to Athens banged up. Starting a freshman at quarterback will be tough for the Cats to overcome…
WINNER- GEORGIA BULLDOGS




ACC- NORTH CAROLINA o Boston College
BIG 12- NEBRAKSA o Kansas State
BIG EAST- RUTGERS o Syracuse
BIG 10- OHIO STATE o Michigan
PAC 10- STANFORD o Cal
UPSET SPECIAL
ARIZONA o Oregon

Lay Back and Let It Ride Kentucky Basketball

Sure, it was Miami of Ohio and the talent levels between them and the Kentucky Wildcats is vast but before Big Blue nation starts looking for a horse to tie their ankle to and drag themselves to their demise just remember: these players are young and Kentucky did get the win.

With the whirl win that was the John Calipari coaching signing followed by him signing the top recruiting class in the nation Kentucky was chosen by media to be a team destined for a late run in March. In Kentucky, fans deemed the team the greatest of all time and argued that the number five preseason ranking was too low. But how quickly fans forget, Kentucky was not even in the NCAA tournament last year and they lost their top scorer, Jodie Meeks, to the NBA.
With a brand new team, Kentucky will have a lot of these games early. In fact it was after the 75 to 59 victory that John Calipari said that Miami of Ohio had a chance to beat Kentucky if they didn’t play well.

It certainly got close, but Kentucky did prevail. And that is something fans can hang their hats on for now. The Kentucky Wildcats of last year would have not been able to come back from an 18 point deficit. In fact, early in the year last year it was a game against VMI, that the Cats could not stop the military institute from missing a basket and they eventually lost.

After the game John Calipari said, “I was happy that our team got down by 18.” And continued by saying, “At each time out my players kept saying we are going to win this. We are not going to give this one away.”

And they didn’t give it away. With six tenths of a second left freshman John Wall pulled up at around the free throw line, hit a shot, and won the game.

No, they did not win by 37. No the game did not look pretty. But this could be the game at the end of the season that players and coaches point to as a maturation point for the remainder of the season.

SEC Bowl Projections Week 11

BCS National Title- ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE v Texas
I have been going back and forth and back and forth on this game. Its going to be an SEC v Texas game but which SEC team. After this weeks performances I give the edge to Alabama to meet Florida in Atlanta and beat the Gators. The Gators have not looked the same as last years unit and Alabama keeps playing stronger and stronger.

SUGAR BOWL- FLORIDA GATORS v Cincinnati
The Gators have played too close for comfort this year and should land in the SEC’s given bowl game- the Sugar Bowl. They should play an unbeaten school that has not been respected by the BCS, sounds like the same team Alabama played last year…

CAPITAL ONE BOWL- LSU TIGERS v Penn State
The Tigers have lost two and should win out. If the BCS allows 3 teams from one conference in the BCS games, LSU could get into the Orange Bowl. But that won’t be allowed, too much love for the SEC. So, the Tigers will land in the Capital One Bowl against a slow Penn State game. This will definitely be a game to sleep through on New Years Day.

COTTON BOWL- OLE MISSISSIPPI v Oklahoma State
The Rebels will have a second straight trip to the Cotton Bowl. This past week getting the running game going was money for the Rebels. They could even move up with a win next week against LSU.

OUTBACK BOWL- GEORGIA BULLDOGS v Wisconsin
The Bulldogs might have salvaged their season last night with a huge win against Auburn. They should be able to beat Kentucky and finish their SEC record at #2 in the East.

CHIC FIL A BOWL- AUBURN TIGERS v Clemson
The Tigers have a bye week and another Iron Bowl on their sleight. This has been a great year for the Tigers first year head coach Gene Chizik. They struggled in the middle half of the season to miss a New Years Day Bowl, but the Chic Fil A Bowl is becoming an SEC bowl for the next upcoming power…Should be a good one.

MUSIC CITY BOWL- SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS v Virginia Tech
Another year and another late season collapse for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Every year they start hot but can not complete the season. When the Gamecocks hired Steve Spurrier, they imagined competing for SEC and National titles. Middle tier bowl games has got to be a major let down for the fan base.

LIBERTY BOWL- ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS v East Carolina
The Razorbacks are another SEC team that missed a bowl last year but have had a good enough year to reach bowl eligibility. I have been raving about Ryan Mallet for weeks and think that the Razorbacks should compete even stronger next year in the West.

INDEPENDENCE BOWL- KENTUCKY WILDCATS v Texas Tech
Kentucky has reached their fourth straight bowl and should head to another game the school has not played in, the Independence Bowl in Shrevport Louisiana.

PAPA JOHNS.COM BOWL- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS v Rutgers
After yesterdays embarrassing loss to Ole Miss, it’s easy to see the Volunteers still have a ways to go to compete nationally. The Volunteers should beat Vanderbilt and now, I don’t see them beating a Kentucky team for the first time in more than 20 years.

College Picks Week 11

SEC RECORD- 57-19

Tennessee @ Mississippi-
Since mid October the Tennessee Volunteers have been the fourth best team in the SEC, behind Florida, LSU, and Alabama. This week they play Mississippi, which was everyone’s darling headed into the season but have stumbled a lot this year proving inferiority. With the Vols playing as well as they are, it should be an Orange day in Oxford.
WINNER- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS

Kentucky @ Vanderbilt
Kentucky needs just one win to become bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season. Mike Hartline might even be back behind center which is an upgrade from the freshman and Will Fidler. However, Vanderbilt traditionally plays well against the Cats and have had many close calls this season. Vanderbilt has been out of bowl contention for the last 2 weeks but would like nothing more than to spoil the Cats chances and finish out their last two weeks strong. I project some rust on Hartline coming back and the Cats to fall in Nashville to a emotional Vanderbilt squad.
WINNER- VANDERBILT COMMODORES

Florida @ South Carolina
Last year this game was given top billing, kind of like last year and I think there is no reason for this. Steve Spurrier’s squads continue to struggle down the last stretch of the season and this season has been no different. The Cocks have lost 3 of their last 4 and now have to host the Gators, who themselves are finally playing football like the number one team in the nation should. Florida should dominate this game and leave SEC play unbeaten and prepared for Bama in December.

WINNER- FLORIDA GATORS

Alabama @ Mississippi State
Mississippi State has played well this season, especially at home. They nearly beat LSU and played a tough game against Florida. This week, again the Bulldogs should play tough, but they still won’t have enough to play with the upper escilon teams in the country. Bama needs to get all their gears running for the SEC title game which is only 3 weeks away.

WINNER- ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

Lousiana Tech @ LSU
The Bayou Bengals have played well this season after a lack luster offensive showing throughout the first half of the season. They are still ranked in the top-10 and should be primed for a decent bowl birth this year. The Tigers host a team that doesn’t matter so this is a game where I can pad the stats…

WINNER- LSU TIGERS

Auburn @ Georgia
This is a tossup and really depends on which team is going to show up for which school. Auburn hass played really well at times and in fact reached #17 in the polls going 5-0, but fell on a three game losing skid which killed their chances of making real noise in the West. Georgia has played hot and a lot of cold this season and really needs the W to save face in the East. With Georgia at home, I give it to the Dawgs reluctantly.

WINNER- GEORGIA BULLDOGS

Troy @ Arkansas
The Razorbacks should get back into bowl eligibility after missing it completely last year. Bobby Petrino has some talent on this team and should really be a force next season.

WINNER- ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS

COLLEGE PICKSRECORD- 29-18
ACC-CLEMSON O North Carolina State
BIG EAST- PITTSBURGH o Notre Dame
BIG 12- NEBRASKA 0 Kansas
BIG TEN- NORTHWESTERN o Illinois
PAC 10- ARIZONA o Cal
Mountain West- TCU o Utah
UPSET SPECIAL
OHIO STATE o Iowa

NOVEMBER 7th SEC BOWL PROJECTIONS

BOWL PROJECTIONS
BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP- FLORIDA GATORS
After the sloppy game against Mississippi State, the Gators put together their most complete game against Georgia to clinch another SEC Eastern Division title. Now, the Gators must stay focused through Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and Florida State and be prepared to meet the Western champion and finish the season unbeaten.

SUGAR BOWL- ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
Following the bye week, the Crimson Tide host the LSU Tigers in a game that will decide who wins the West. I project they beat LSU and move through the rest of their schedule unscathed but again in the SEC Championship, I don’t project that Alabama has enough to overtake the Gators for SEC supremacy, so they will again land in a BCS Bowl game, just not the one they want.

CAPITAL ONE BOWL- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
Traditionally, the Capital One Bowl chooses the second best team in the Eastern division and if the Vols win out, they should fall here. Tennessee does have to go into Oxford next week but other than that they are smooth sailing. Tennessee has played tough against both the Gators and the Crimson Tide and are well deserving of this bowl game…Congrats Lane Kiffin, but next year the heat will be turned up for your team to actually be competing for a SEC crown.

COTTON BOWL- LSU TIGERS
The Cotton Bowl gets the choice of the next best SEC West school and with just two losses they get SEC power LSU.

OUTBACK BOWL- GEORGIA BULLDOGS
Probably a stretch, but the Bulldogs should be able to regroup against Tennessee Tech this week, take care of a home matchup against Auburn and Kentucky to land at the 3 spot in the SEC East and another bowl game in Florida.

Chic-Fil-A Bowl- SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS
The Gamecocks should finish with the same record as the Bulldogs, but they did lose to Georgia at the beginning of the season and lose the tie breaker. Also, it would be highly unlikely that the Gamecocks go to the same bowl game two years in a row and therefore the bowl game in Atlanta should choose South Carolina.

MUSIC CITY BOWL- AUBURN TIGERS
After a dismal year last season, the Tigers should find themselves in a bowl game in Nashville

LIBERTY BOWL- OLE MISS REBELS
Although the Rebels finished with the same record as Auburn, they land here for geographic reasons. This is a far cry from the bowl they wanted at the beginning of the year, but two straight bowl appearances are still kind of nice.

INDEPENDENCE BOWL- ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS

Arkansas showed their youth and playing inconsistent all season, but they should end up with six wins and a bowl berth.

College Picks Week 10

There are not many good games on the SEC slieght this week so, hopefully I can improve on my record. Last week was my worst week in picking games as I was only 500.
This week should be better---

SEC- 50-18
South Carolina @ Arkansas-
This is a crucial game for both schools to get November off on a good note as they fight for bowl positioning. The Gamecocks loss to Tennessee and struggles against Vanderbilt makes this season look like the same story as the past 2 years- Gamecocks fall apart at the end of the season. The Arkansas Razorbacks have played well and look like they have positioned themselves to be dangerous in another year. Both teams need the win, but I give the ‘W’ to the Gamecocks because they need to get back on track more than the Razorbacks
WINNER- SOUTH CAROLINA
Tennessee Tech @ Georgia-
The Bulldogs get a confidence game after the embarrassing outing for the second year in a row to the Florida Gators. Georgia should win this one handily.
WINNER- GEORGIA BULLDOGS
Eastern Kentucky @ Kentucky-
A win here and the Cats have 3 tries to get to bowl eligibility for the 4th straight year.
WINNER- KENTUCKY WILDCATS
Furman @ Auburn-
Great win last week for Auburn…I did not see that coming, but with the turnaround they get a cake game before a show down with eastern foe the Georgia Bulldogs.
LSU @ Alabama-
At the beginning of the year I thought that LSU would win the Western division. However, now I think the opposite. Bama has looked like the best team in the conference and LSU has gotten by but not looked dominant. It is always close when these two teams meet, but in Saban Bowl 3, he should come out victorius.
WINNER-ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
Vanderbilt @ Florida-
Gators clinched the East last week in their most dominant performance of the season. Now it’s a month before their next true test, the west champion. Vanderbilt has played tough this season, but the brutal schedule has caused them some trouble….
WINNER- FLORIDA GATORS
Memphis @ Tennessee-
Huge fan of the Black uni’s last Saturday and a huge fan of the BIG ‘W’ over South Carolina. Now they are in contention to finish the season 2nd in the East and reach a pretty prestigious bowl game. They need to handle their business this week against a porous Memphis Tiger team.
WINNER- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
Northern Arizona @ Mississippi
You get knocked down and you get up again. That is what the Ole Miss Rebels need to do this week against N Arizona. The Rebels have superior talent and need to tune up for a showdown with a confident Volunteer team next week
WINNER- MISSISSIPPI REBELS

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PROJECTIONS 26-14
ACC- FLORIDA STATE o Clemson
BIG EAST- WEST VIRGINIA o Louisville
BIG 12- KANSAS o Kansas State
BIG TEN- MICHIGAN o Purdue
PAC 10- WASHINGTON o Ucla
UPSET-
NEBRASKA 0 Oklahoma
OHIO STATE o Penn State

COLLEGE WEEK 9

O there are some SCARY games this Halloween....and I have some SCARY upsets. If it happens I am a genius and Halloween Genie, but if not...well it is not that big of a deal. Here are my week 9 projections and have a safe, and awesome Halloween!

Justin Keehne

Ole Miss @ Auburn-
What a fall from grace for the Auburn Tigers. After starting the season 5-0, the wheels have fallen off. They should win one more game through the remainder of the season and become bowl eligible…but after a 5-0 start this season will be deemed a huge disappointment. Mississippi’s passing game has really taken shape the past two weeks and so, the Rebels are hot…Too hot for the Tigers to handle this week.
WINNER- OLE MISS REBELS

SEC UPSET SPECIAL-

Georgia v Florida-
Last year the Gators domintated the Bulldogs. Now, its Georgia’s turn. Mark Richt has had two weeks to get his team prepared. The Bulldogs have not been impressive all season but after the bye I think some of the chinks are out of the armor. The Gators have played too close for comfort the past two weeks and makes me question their abilities on both sides of the ball. The game used to be the World’s Largest Cocktail Party and Jacksonville will be Black and Red all Halloween Night…
WINNER- GEORGIA BULLDOGS

Eastern Michigan @ Arkansas-
The Razorbacks will win this game…do I even need a reason? It is Eastern Michigan…

Tulane @ LSU-
Again padding my record….LSU will win in Baton Rouge.

Georgia Tech @ Vanderbilt-
The Yellow Jackets are not only ranked but the hottest team in the ACC. Vanderbilt has played tough but the schedule has made their record miserable and it will continue to get that way…
WINNER- GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS

South Carolina @ Tennessee-
To become bowl eligible the Vols need this win. I expect Rocky Top to be full of enthusiasm after such a close game against Alabama. All Tennessee needs is a quarterback and they would be competing THIS year in the SEC East. The Gamecocks have played well this season but struggled in Vandy. Were they looking ahead? Or is it about the time for the Cocks to falter down the stretch? Tennessee at home should get the win.
WINNER- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS

Mississippi State @ Kentucky-
Been going back and forth on this one. Its tough to really choose a winner. Mississippi State has been playing very well against teams that on paper, they should not be competing with. Kentucky has won two straight. Traditionally this is a close game. Kentucky at home on Homecoming, Halloween, and Rich Brooks calling this game “critical” is the rationale for a Cats victory Saturday night.
WINNER-KENTUCKY WILDCATS

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PROJECTIONS
ACC-MIAMI o Wake Forest
BIG EAST- CINCINNATI o Syracuse
BIG 12- OKLAHOMA o Kansas State
BIG TEN- MICHIGAN STATE o Minnesota
PAC TEN- USC o Oregon

-----UPSET SPECIAL----
OKLAHOMA STATE o Texas

SEC OCTOBER 25 BOWL PROJECTIONS

OCTOBER 25 SEC BOWL PROJECTIONS
BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP- Alabama Crimson Tide
Again, the Alabama Crimson Tide played well enough to win. Some might think the near defeat against Tennessee is a cause for concern, however Tennessee DID have 2 weeks to prepare and at the end of the day, the Tide won and that’s all that matters. Running back Mark Ingram is making a serious case for Heisman and his team in the best in the land.

SUGAR BOWL- Florida Gators
Back to back weeks the Gators have toyed around with teams they should have destroyed. People might point to some injuries on the defensive side of the ball for the close one last night, but this is the second week in a row where Florida has struggled offensively. The Gators must be careful because this coming week the Georgia Bulldogs are coming off a bye and want some respect after last years crushing. Either way, the Gators ARE the second best team in the SEC and so, they will land in the Sugar Bowl.

Capital One Bowl- LSU Tigers
With two weeks to get over the Florida loss and prepare for the Auburn Tigers, Les Miles found his offense. This happened last year during the bowl game. If only the Tigers could have bye weeks between each game…they’d be unstoppable. With only one loss, they have one true tough test left against Alabama. Even falling there and stumbling again they should be the next best team in the SEC and land in Orlando and the Capital One Bowl.

Cotton Bowl- South Carolina
The game last week was too close for comfort against a down Vanderbilt team, but a win is a win. The Gamecocks have played well enough this season to land in Dallas for the Cotton Bowl.

Outback Bowl- Ole Miss Rebels
A downgrade from where the Oxford hopefuls hoped they would be, the Rebels should land in Florida for the Outback bowl. Yesterday Jevan Snead looked like he was supposed to look all season…

Chic Fil A Bowl- Georgia Bulldogs
It has been a rough season for the Bulldogs and so, with a rebuilding year comes a rebuilding bowl game. The Dawgs should finish third in the SEC East and play very close to home in the Georgia Dome.

Music City Bowl- Kentucky Wildcats
After last weeks initial projections that had the Cats miss bowl season entirely, they land for the third time in four years at the Music City Bowl in Nashville. Looking at the remaining schedule, the Cats stock can rise a great deal because the remaining games are all winnable for the Wildcats.

Liberty Bowl- Tennessee Volunteers
The Vols have played strong against the top teams in the nation- Alabama and Florida but have failed to come out with a victory in either. There is NO MORAL victories in college football. The poor quarterback play will continue to haunt the Vols, (although it has gotten better)… The Vols will play three hours from home down in Memphis.
Independence Bowl- Arkansas Razorbacks
Ryan Mallet can flat out play. The transfer from Michigan has proved a lot this season and should prove even more by seasons end.

Papajohns.com Bowl- Auburn Tigers
What a fall from grace…the Tigers began the season 5-0 and since then have been blown out by Arkansas, lost at HOME to Kentucky, and got blown out to LSU. This is a rebuilding year with a new coach and new system but to go from 5-0 to 5-3 is disappointing….The Tigers should win one more game, at least and land in the lowest SEC Bowl.

Halftime Thoughts....

KENTUCKY 28 LOUISIANA MONROE 7

First Half Thoughts-
OFFENSE---
The goal for Kentucky is to have true freshman quarterback Morgan Newton do AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. The Cats were able to do that by going up 14-0 with a long run play and a punt return before half way through the first quarter.
Newton has done his job, but has thrown an interception. After the interception they inserted Will Fidler in a quarterback.
The rotating quarterbacks is NOT a way to win. With Kentucky at home, they SHOULD be starting the freshman, allowing him to make mistakes and ease his way into the game. The indecisiveness at who should start will be a detriment when they play SEC teams.
After the initial burst, there was complacency on offense.
DEFENSE---
Other than a few lapses the defense has played well. The Warhawks drove the ball down the field in 3 of their possessions but were only able to put the ball in the endzone once. The defense is allowing too many yards and has held the ball 6 more minutes that Kentucky. The defense to this point has given up only 26 yards on the ground which is impressive because coming into the game, the Warhawks have been ranked nationally in the rushing category.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS-
Kentucky has played well and is doing what the need to against a inferior opponent. With the way the schedule is layed out, a fourth bowl is in insight and Kentucky looks to be taking care of their business to this point in the game.

HUGE HOMESTAND BEGINS FOR KENTUCKY

After last week's huge win at Auburn, Kentucky has three, on paper, winable games that could make end with the Cats becoming bowl eligible for the fourth time in four years. Here are the keys to victory against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks---
1) KEEP RUN GAME GOING- The running game has been huge for the Cats and must continue this week.
2) MORE WILDCAT-The more versitle the offense can be...the better for the Cats. Last week for 3 quarters the offense was anemic but putting Randal Cobb behind center led the Cats to victory for the first time in over 35 years against the Auburn Tigers...expect more of the WILDCAT for the rest of the season.
3) DONT OVERLOOK THIS GAME- What Kentucky does NOT need is a let down here. They need to score first and dictate pace of this game.

OVERALL PREDICTION-
Louisiana Monroe will be tougher than people expect. This should be a game in the fourth quarter...but Kentucky should win with superior talent.
KENTUCKY 20
Louisiana Monroe 13

College Football Picks WEEK 8

Well, it us hard to beleive we are 8 weeks into the college football season. A lot has changed and the true National title competitors have emerged while pretenders have fallen back.
Entering the season, I was not sold on Oklahoma and with now 3 losses, I think it is fair to to that they weren't nearly as strong as everyone projected.
In the BIG 10 Ohio State was disappointing last week losing to PURDUE? That is just embarrassing. Iowa has a tough game and with a win they can basically sinch up the Big 10 title. This year Penn State again hasnt looked special but has been winning enough to sit with one loss.
PAC 10 also looks like a one team race with everyone else pretty even to one another. Oregon is technically in first but when the face USC, I project a change there.
ACC is a bunch of equally talented teams, that showed Thursday night when North Carolina lost a 24-6 fourth quarter lead to lose to the Seminoles.

Anyways on the way tomorrow will be an updated SEC Bowl Projections....Here is how WEEK 8 should shape out!

SEC GAMES PROJECTIONS
LAST WEEK- 4-2
OVERALL- 42-13

Arkansas @ Mississippi- This has been a letdown year for the Rebels, however this IS what I projected. They played well last year with no expectations, this year it was too tough to live up to the hype as they lost a lot of their offensive line and defense. Arkansas has been impressive. Ryan Mallet can bomb that ball out and makes the Razorbacks already next year’s darlings. In this game, look for Arkansas to battle closely against Ole Miss and pull out a win.
WINNER- ARKANSAS

Tennessee @ Alabama- This is a scary game for the Tide. Tennessee has had two weeks to prepare for this game and come off a dominating win against East rival the Georgia Bulldogs. However, Alabama has looked like the best team in the nation to this point in the season and should confuse Crompton enough to win. This game should be close though…
WINNER- ALABAMA

Vanderbilt @ South Carolina- Vanderbilt has been straight up disappointing this year and should lose another SEC game this week. South Carolina is on the other side of the spectrum. They have played very well, exceeding expectations of most and sit in the #2 slot in the SEC East. Stephen Garcia has played well and should cause the Gators problems at the end of the season.
WINNER- SOUTH CAROLINA

Auburn @ LSU- The Auburn Tigers started impressively at 5-0 and reaching the top-25, but the wheels have come off for the Tigers as they got crushed by Arkansas and upset by Kentucky. LSU is number 9 in the nation, but kind of like last year have looked unimpressive and have bent but somehow not completely broken….this week, I project another loss and the chinks in the armor to show.
WINNER- AUBURN

Florida @ Mississippi State- No chance for an upset here, the Gators are better than Mississippi State and should flat out win the game before half time.
WINNER- FLORIDA

Louisiana-Monroe @ Kentucky- Not sold on Kentucky, even after the comeback win in Auburn. Kentucky will get to start true freshman Morgan Newton at home for the next three weeks, which is ideally what they wanted if an injury did occur. If Newton can progress in these three weeks, Kentucky has 3 straight winnable games….which means at the end of this home stand, Kentucky can be bowl eligible for the 4th straight year. Louisiana-Monroe cannot be overlooked and should give Kentucky a game. The Warhawks average 30 points a game….game should be close and a turnover or slow start will cause the Cats to lose, but can’t project a letdown…
WINNER- KENTUCKY

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS
OVERALL- 23-11
ACC- MIAMI o Clemson
BIG 12- NEBRASKA o Iowa State
BIG EAST- WEST VIRGINIA o Uconn
BIG 10- NORTHWESTERN o Indiana
PAC 10- ARIZONA o Ucla
UPSET SPECIALS!!!---
· OKLAHOMA o Kansas
· MICHIGAN o Penn State

SEC Midseason Bowl Projections

Well, we are 1/2 way through the college football season, so here is my SEC Bowl Pics as of right now...

MIDDLE OF OCTOBER SEC BOWL PROJECTIONS

BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP- Alabama Crimson Tide
The Tide are playing the most complete football in the nation. Quarterback Greg McElroy has been very impressive in his first year as the starter throwing for 9 touchdowns and just one interception. The defense has dominated opponents only allowing 12.5 points a game. Alabama should run the table through the rest of their schedule and have a rematch in Atlanta against Florida for the SEC Championship….by the way Bama has played, they should have what it takes to beat Florida and head to the national title game.

SUGAR BOWL- Florida Gators

Florida has played well again this season, but it seems like they are not as dominant as last year’s squad. Like Alabama, they should go unbeaten through the remainder of the season but they don’t appear to match up well against Bama and so they land where Bama did last year- the Sugar Bowl.

Capital One Bowl- South Carolina Gamecocks

The Capital One Bowl usually takes the second best team in the SEC East. At the beginning of the season, I projected the Gamecocks would have a bad season, miss a bowl, and force Steve Spurrier out of Columbia. But, somehow, the offense is clicking and the defense has played well. The past few years the Gamecocks have stumbled down the stretch but, it looks like they should be strong enough to finish strong enough to finish with a #2 slot in the SEC East and head to
Orlando for the Capital One Bowl.

Cotton Bowl- LSU Tigers

Like last year it’s the offense that is problematic for the Bayou Bengals. The Tigers still must play Auburn, Alabama and Ole Miss. With Bama going to the National Title game, the Tigers should fall to the next best West bowl game and play against a Big 12 school.

Outback Bowl- Ole Mississippi

Usually the Outback Bowl takes another East team, but with the Rebels likely to finish with a better record, Ole Miss should fall here.

Chic Fil A Bowl- Georgia Bulldogs

This has been a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs but as long as they DO NOT get upset by lesser teams they should land here on New Years Eve.

Music City Bowl- Auburn Tigers

Auburn has been a pleasant surprise in the SEC. Starting the season 5-0, it would be unlikely that the Tigers miss a bowl game. They will likely struggle against Alabama, Georgia, and Ole Miss, but should land in Nashville for the Music City Bowl.

Liberty Bowl- Arkansas Razorbacks

Due to proximity, the Razorbacks should land in Memphis for the Liberty Bowl. Quarterback Ryan Mallet has been a pleasant surprise and with him coming back next year, the Razorbacks will be even more of a SEC threat next season.

Independence Bowl- Tennessee Volunteers

Not exactly what Volunteer faithful can be happy about, but Tennessee should get to 6 wins and become bowl eligible. With the worst record for SEC bowl teams, the Vols will land in the Shrevport Independence Bowl.

Papa Johns.com Bowl- NO ELIGIBLE TEAMS

College Picks Week 7

SEC WEEK 7
SEC RECORD- 38-11
Georgia @ Vanderbilt- When these two teams met last year BOTH of them were ranked. Both teams this year have fallen on some hard times. After last season’s bowl season, Vandy has regressed back to being….Vandy. The Bulldogs sorely miss not having Mathew Stafford and Knowshun Moreno. The Bulldogs should be able to bounce back from a tough one in Knoxville.
WINNER--- GEORGIA BULLDOGS

Mississippi State @ Middle Tennessee State- Fool me once Bulldogs, shame on me. Fool me twice? Not going to happen. Last week Mississippi State lost to Houston. It is going to be such a shame when they lose to another lesser conference team.
WINNER- MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Arkansas @ Florida- The Razorback offense has to face a tough Florida defense that has given up only 10 points combined in their last 2 games. The Gators look good enough to run the table in the East and make it unbeaten to the SEC Championship game.
WINNER- FLORIDA GATORS
UAB @ Mississippi- Mississippi has not lived up to the billing this season….Jevan Snead should come back for his senior season which means the Rebels will relevant again next season….Anyways, they should win this game by double digits….
WINNER- OLE MISSISSIPPI
Kentucky @ Auburn- Kentucky has been so injury riddled it is going to be tough to go to Jordan Hare stadium and pull out a victory. Auburn was embarrassed last week and should rebound nicely.
WINNER- AUBURN TIGERS
South Carolina @ Alabama- this would be a huge statement game for Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks, BUT it is not going to happen. Alabama is playing better than anyone else in the nation and it is noticeable to the national media as well; they moved to the 2 spot in the polls.
WINNER- ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

COLLEGE WEEKLY PICKS
OVERALL RECORD- 19-9
ACC--Virginia Tech o Georgia Tech
BIG 12- Texas o Oklahoma
BIG EAST- West Virginia o Marshall
BIG 10- Iowa o Wisconsin
PAC 10- Stanford o Arizona
EXTRA CHOICE-
USC o Notre Dame

Kentucky Heads to Columbia

After five weeks, the Cats have not really had a true road game, until now in Columbia. Kentucky faces a confident and newly ranked South Carolina Gamecocks this afternoon and desparatley need a win to right the ship after two embarrassing losses. Here are the KEYS to VICTORY for the Kentucky Wildcats-

KEYS TO VICTORY

1) HARTLINE MUST PLAY WELL- After the game against Alabama and through the week this week Rich Brooks reiterated that Mike Hartline is the Kentucky Wildcats best option RIGHT NOW. So, if the confidence from his coach, Hartline needs to play better, find receivers, and not make mistakes. Last year against South Carolina it was Hartline that cost the Wildcats a win. He needs to play better for the Cats to turn things back around

2) CORNER PLAY- Well, both Trevard Lindley and Paul Warford are out for today’s game, so untested corners will take the field for the Cats. Rich Brooks has said that going into their fifth game, no player on the squad is untested and they should be able to fill in nicely. I am not so sure.

3) START FAST- The downfall for the last two years has been that the Kentucky Wildcats need to start fast. Their inability to match score for score and not get their offense in sync until the second quarter makes things hard to battle back.

OVERALL PROJECTION
Big game for the Kentucky. Two straight BAD losses makes this game be the breakthrough. I don’t see Kentucky being able to match the confidence and intensity of the Gamecocks in Columbia. Steve Spurrier has not lost against Kentucky in his career and it shouldn’t change today.

KENTUCKY 10
SOUTH CAROLINA 31

College Picks Week 6

Ah, what a past 5 weeks of college football. This will be the first week in the past 5 where I get to stay home and watch all the games and not have to cover anything. This week should be good for viewing as their are key games for a lot of conferences! Here is the week 6 projected winners

LAST WEEK- 5-2
OVERALL- 34-8

Auburn @ Arkansas- Auburn has played better than anyone has expected the first five weeks in the season. This will be a true test for the Tigers headed to Fayetteville. I think Auburn’s ability to move the ball and tact points on the board should be enough to keep Arkansas on the defensive and lose in a close one.

WINNER- AUBURN TIGERS

Kentucky @ South Carolina- All that needs to be said , Steve Spurrier is16-0 against the Kentucky Wildcats. What a rough schedule for the Cats, #1 Florida, #3 Alabama, now a ranked South Carolina, and next week a ranked Auburn. South Carolina should cruise…

WINNER- SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS

Georgia @ Tennessee- The Volunteers are 0-2 in the SEC, Lane Kiffin needs this one badly. The Georgia Bulldogs lost a heartbreaker to LSU in the last seconds and that might have just broken their spirits. Tennessee needs a big SEC win, this would be it.

WINNER- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS

Alabama @ Ole Miss- The Crimson Tide rank #2 in total defense. Ole Miss has a okay offense but has not lived up to expectations. The Tide should dominate this game and continue to reign
the best team in the SEC West.

WINNER- ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

Vanderbilt @ Army- The Commodores should be able to win a nonconference game at Westpoint.

WINNER- VANDERBILT COMMODORES

Houston @ Mississippi State- Houston lost last week to remove their name of the possible BCS busters, as they head to Starkville they should struggle. Houston has been unable to stop anyone and when you play a game against an SEC team, with superior athletes, defense is a must

WINNER- MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS

Florida @ LSU- The question is- Is Tim Tebow playing or not? I don’t think it really matters. LSU is coming off a physical last second win in Athens and Florida comes off a bye. Sophomore John Brantley should do fine if Tebow can not go. LSU has snuck by teams and surprisingly is unbeaten. Similar to last year, LSU should falter down the stretch.

WINNER- FLORIDA GATORS


College Football
LAST WEEK
OVERALL- 19-9
ACC- VIRGINIA TECH o Boston College
BIG 12- OKLAHOMA o Baylor
BIG EAST- RUTGERS 0 Texas Southern
BIG 10- OHIO STATE o Wisconsin
PAC 10- OREGON o UCLA
UPSET-
MICHIGAN o Iowa

Kentucky Takes On Florida at Commonwealth

Football Time in the Bluegrass!

NEWS/NOTES

Kentucky prepares to take on the defending national champions and the current number one team in the land the Florida Gators today. The last time Kentucky faced a number one team was two years ago when the LSU Tigers came to Commonwealth and lost in an overtime thriller. But this is a different day and different time. Kentucky faces a Florida team that they have not beaten in 22 tries, but here is what is in the Cats favor…

--- Sickness is running rampid through the Gator team. Reported late last night was among the 30 players with flu-like symptoms was Florida’s leader Tim Tebow. A less than healthy Tebow only aides in the Wildcats chances for victory.
--Along with sickness, both teams will have to deal with terrible weather. It has rained ALL week in Lexington and according to one player; Commonwealth Stadium has not been tarped in hopes to slow down the Gators when they take the field. A slick field might hurt both teams, but a slick field and wet ball makes this game a crap shoot.
--Earlier this week I was asked, Is Mike Hartline the 2nd best quarterback in the SEC. Right away I thought NO! But as we rattled off the quarterbacks, statistically Hartline is up there. Tebow far and away more superior to everyone in the SEC, but Ole Miss’ Jevan Snead has struggled, Stephen Garcia of South Carolina has looked strong at times but makes mistakes….I see the point, Hartline might be the second best quarterback in the SEC. He will need to progress even more this week and not turn the ball over like he did last week in Kentucky wants to hang in this game.

KEYS TO KENTUCKY VICTORY-

1) Score Touchdowns - Last week Tennessee laid down an outline on how to cause issues for the Gators; hit them hard and play unafraid. But the Vols did not match touchdowns with Florida. Kentucky must match the Gators score for score and NOT settle for field goals. Field goals will not win this game…

2) No TURNOVERS- Last week against Louisville there were an awful lot of mental errors. The special teams unit gave up a touchdown and large gains on kick returns, Mike Hartline fumbled and threw a interception AND Derrick Locke fumbled a kick return. To keep the game close the Cats must play error free.

3) HIT THE GATORS- Tennessee did this well last week and that’s why heading into half, the Vols trailed by just seven at the half. The defense needs to play fearlessly and hit the Gators at every chance…

OVERALL GAME PROJECTION-
Just breaking down this game gets me excited. Commonwealth will be rocking. Earlier this week coach Rich Brooks told the media that his team doesn’t remember the drubbing by the Gators last year. They remember the three straight bowl wins and the LSU overtime win a few years ago. The Cats should go in confident and with a sick Gator squad that is bumped and bruised physically and mentally Florida team headed to the Commonwealth, the game should be closer than Vegas projects but in the end I think Florida has superior talent all over the field and should leave Kentucky unblemished.

FLORIDA- 23 Kentucky 17

College Picks Week 4

SEC Week 4 Projections

OVERALL Record- 23-4
Ole Miss @ South Carolina- Ole Miss has looked the past two games and now they head to Columbia, which is not an easy place to play. But Jevan Snead is head and shoulders better than Joe Cox of Georgia and Cox went crazy on the South Carolina defense. Might be close but Ole Miss should win.
(L) USC 16-10
LSU @ Missippi State- Impressive win for the Bulldogs last week in Nashville against Vandy. Dixon ran well and the defense played strong to win. This week they host the #7 team in the country. The close win at the beginning of the season at Huskie Stadium against Washington looks pretty good now that Washington took down USC. LSU keeps looking better week to week and should continue to improve this week with another win.--- LSU TIGERS
Arkansas @ Alabama- A classic tale of offense versus defense. Last week Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett gained some national exposure for the way he played in a loss to Georgia. This kid has got an arm and Arkansas has the ability to throw the ball all over the field. BUT, Alabama the past three weeks has looked like the best team in the nation; strong on offense and stout on defense. ALABAMA should win this game handily.--- ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
Ball State @ Auburn- Auburn showed some offensive prowess last week matching the West Virginia Mountaineers score for score and won 41-38. This week they play another good offense in Ball State. However there is a drop off in opponent quality and Auburn should be able to dominate.--- AUBURN TIGERS
Arizona State @ Georgia- Georgia squeeked by again last week against Arkansas. This week they host a Pac 10 school who is ranked #1 in total defense…but those numbers are deceiving, the Sun Devils haven’t played anyone of Georgia’s caliber to this point in the season. Georgia should win again and move into the top 15.---GEORGIA BULLDOGS
Ohio @ Tennessee- Tennessee needs a win here after dropping two in a row. They should fair pretty well against the Ohio Bobcats.---TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
Vanderbilt @ Rice- Rice is an allright team and the Dores need to be wary going into Texas to take them on. Vandy looked bad against Mississippi State last week and I think they are headed back to the back of the bus in the SEC. Rice in the upset..----RICE OWLS

COLLEGE FOOTBALL Projections
ACC- Miami O Virginia Tech
BIG TEN- Michigan o Indiana
BIG 12- Texas o UTEP
BiG EAST- Cincinnati O Fresno State
PAC 10- Cal o Oregon
UPSET- Stanford o Washington

Battle For the Governor's Cup

Kentucky V Louisville
Battle for the Governor’s Cup

It seems like forever ago when either the Wildcats or the Cards took the field two weeks ago for their first action of the regular season. Kentucky stuggled very little in the opening week, while the Cards didn’t impress many with a 30-10 victory over Indiana State.
Saturday, the Governor’s Cup will be up for grabs again. Last year, the Cats took down the Cards 27-2 in a season most Louisville faithful would like to forget. This might be Louisville’s head coach Steve Kragthorpe’s last chance to play Kentucky as another loss to the in-state rival and a bowl-less season might send him out of town.

Here is Kentucky’s KEYS TO VICTORY-
1) Play INTENSE- Rivalries are tough to call. Vegas have the Wildcats an 11 point favorite. But a huge factor will be Steve Kragthorpe. He is undoubtedly in the hot seat. Already, he has lost 2 to Kentucky and has missed bowl games in 2 straight seasons. Louisville will come out firing and fighting for their head coach. The Cats need to take whatever the first punch will be from the Cardinals and where down Louisville through the superior talent it appears the Cats have.
2) Score in the 1st quarter- Last year’s issues, seemed to be an issue again in the Wildcats opening action against Miami. Kentucky started slow against Miami, starting the game converting only 1 of 4 third down conversions. The lack of success early in games will haunt the Cats in this one, where the Cards are known to start fast and will want to make a statement following two straight losses to the rival Wildcats.
3) More Wildcat- The offense had a different dynamic when the Cats last played. A non-speedy Mike Hartline was running the option for positive yardage and whenever the Wildcat formation took the field, the Cats had positive plays, of the 3 times they went to the formation they scored twice and gained a key first down on the third attempt. The more versatile the Cats can be on offense, the better the season will go. After last week’s bye week, look for the Wildcat to be even more incorporated into the offense.

OVERALL PROJECTION—
In the past 3 seasons in recruiting and play, the Wildcats have far surpassed the Louisville Cardinals in talent. Kentucky looks more like an SEC team and with such athleticism the Wildcats should be able to handle the Cardinals, that is on paper. But, this should be an emotional game for the Cardinals. They need the win to save Steve Kragthorpe and get their season on the right foot before their conference play begins in a few weeks.
Talent wins this one for the Cats, but it WILL be closer than the Vegas line….
FINAL-
Kentucky 31, Louisville 23

College Week 3 Projections

SEC OVERALL RECORD- 16-2
SEC WEEK 3 Projections
Florida o Tennessee- Lane Kiffin talked a lot in the offseason about how Florida cheat in recruiting. Too bad he “didn’t”. Its going to be a long day in Gainesville for the Volunteers. Jonathon Crompton struggled against a non-physical Pac 10 school UCLA last week. Florida is dominant on defense returning all 11 from last years national championship version.
Alabama o North Texas- Alabama started slow last week but ende up with a dominant score. This week look for the Tide to Roll their next opponent too.
Mississippi o Southeastern Louisiana- Off a bye week, the Rebels need to look better than they did in the opening week against Memphis. Quarterback Jevan Snead, Steve Spurrier’s choice as best quarterback in the conference, threw 2 interceptions against the Tigers and needs to tune it up against SE Louisiana so that next weeks SEC opener in Columbia won’t be a complete mess.
Arkansas o Georgia- This will likely be the closest SEC action of the week. Georgia struggled against South Carolina last week in Athens and almost started the season 0-2. The Dawgs are rebuilding. On the other hand, Arkansas is on the rise. Players in Fayetteville are calling this a “must win” and its only the 3rd week of the season. The biggest game in the two year tenure of Bobby Petrino should be a good one…Give the game to the Razorbacks because they are at home and really do NEED the win if they want to reach 6 and make bowl eligibility this season.
Vanderbilt o Mississippi State- Vanderbilt surprised me last week playing LSU strong to the end in Baton Rouge. Maybe the Commodores are going to compete all season, but before we get that far ahead of ourselves it would be nice for the ‘Dores to be 3-0…that’s ½ way to bowl eligible. Mississippi State is headed for a rocky first year with Dan Mullens at the helm. Vandy should take care of business at home.
South Carolina o Florida Atlantic- South Carolina hasn’t looked good the last two weeks but the offense started working in Athens and that might be a turning point for the Cocks. Spurrier needs another good offensive game before the Rebels come to town in their first SEC game of the season.
Auburn o West Virginia- Last year the Tigers kept it close in Morgantown but Pat White took over the game and took down the Tigers basically knocking out any chance of the Tigers to make a bowl game. This year, No Pat White= West Virginia struggles. Gene Chizik starting 3-0, who’d of thunk…

CONFERENCE GAMES
OVERALL- 6-4
PAC 10- USC o Washington
BIG 10- Michigan o E Michigan
BIG 12- Texas o Texas Tech
ACC- Clemson o Boston College
BIG EAST- Rutgers o FLA INTL
UPSET- NEBRASKA o VIRGINIA TECH

SEC Week 1 Thoughts...

Last week in the SEC, I was 11-1. Okay, most of the games were easy to pick, but still 11-1 to start the season...pretty good.

Before I post my projections here's what I observed from last week-

**Alabama is as good as advertised**

I wasn't sure how losing two All Americans on the offensive line, replacing a senior quarterback, and veteran running back would translate into immeadeate success. But against the #7 ranked team in the country, the Tide was ready to roll.

**Don't worry about LSU yet**

The Tigers did not blow out last years college football laughing stock the Washington Huskies, but that was a very emotional game for the Huskies. New coach, new era in Seattle...it had the makings of a close one and was. It will be KEY for the Tigers to play well this week, at home against the upstart Vanderbilt Commodores.

**Florida is the Cream of the Crop**

The Gators are easily the best team in the nation and quite possibly could be the one of the best teams of all time. This week they have another cake game before hosting Tennessee.

Thoughts on Kentucky/Miami Game

Kentucky Wins 42-0
Post Game Thoughts---
1) The Offense has weapons.
Last year the offense was anemic. The team could not move the ball and were terrible in 3rd down conversions. Yesterday the Wildcat offense, after the first quarter, got into a rhythm by scoring 35 offensive points. Quarterback Mike Hartline still might not have a strong arm and still has work to do but he does have two playmakers at receiver- Randall Cobb and JUCO transfer Chris Mathews. Mathews didn’t really have tremendous stats for his first collegiate game, but showed signs of a future GO-To threat. Mathews has a large frame and if he can continue to progress, a big bodied receiver will give the Cats offense a much needed boost.
Along with Mathews and Cobb’s ability to catch the ball, it looks like the Cats will have a strong one,two punch at tailback. Alfonzo Smith carried the ball with power and Derrick Locke came back after last seasons devastating knee injury to give speed to the rushing game. The mix of power and speed will keep teams off balance this season.
Just as the rushing attack will keep opposing defenses off balance, the WILDCAT formation was run 3 times for a total of 2 touchdowns and 31 yards. With speedy Randal Cobb at quarterback and Derrick Locke in the backfield the Cats have a lot of speed and should help change pace and tone during a game.

2) Defensive line needs work.
As should be expected, the defensive line struggled on Saturday, though the score does not show it. Kentucky started 3 new players this season on the 4 man front. If Miami were any stronger, the Redhawks could have taken huge advantage of some pretty big rushing holes.

3) Hartline still needs to progress.
What worries me most about this team is Mike Hartline’s inability to throw a ball deep and his reactions under pressure. Each time Kentucky was in a 3rd and long, Miami would blitz someone and Hartline was unable to make the proper reads. Last year, when pressured Hartline goes for the receiver screen. The Redhawks scouted this and knew this. And each time pressured, Hartline attempted to go to a receiver screen, which ended up in bobbled, nearly picked off passes. When the Cats play tougher SEC defenses, those bobbled, nearly intercepted passes will be actual intercepted passes and possible points for the opponent. They need another option for Hartline under pressure….a back out of the backfield, tightend some where over the middle….something other than a receiver screen…

All in all Kentucky won and I guess that should be enough to make the Big Blue Nation happy for a week.
The Cats now have a bye week to prepare for the Governor’s Cup against Louisville.

The Rumble at the River

Kentucky V Miami(OH)
Rumble At The River

CATS KEYS TO VICTORY
OFFENSE
1) Mike Hartline must assert himself as the leader- Well, the Blue Grass Nation isn’t sold on the junior quarterback and still some feel that the Cats best chance to win will be by inserting one of their two true freshmen into the position. However, Rich Brooks has put all his confidence in Hartline to be the starter. Hartline NEEDS a solid performance against a Red Hawk team that last year was at the bottom of their conference giving up 396 yards a game and nearly 33 points.
2) Score Early- Last year Kentucky’s Achilles heel was that they feel behind teams early in games. In fact, the Wildcats were outscored overall 34 to 101in the first quarter. The Red Hawks weren’t that much better as they too got off to slow starts last season being outscored 20 to 84. It will be key for the Kentucky offense to click early. This Miami team will come out with a lot of confidence and wanting to bring on the Mike Haywood era with a victory. The best way to stomp their enthusiasm is to score first and keep scoring early in the game.
3) WILDCAT FORMATION-Last year, true freshman Randall Cobb began the season at receiver and when Mike Hartline was not getting the job done, he took on the quarterback roll. This year Rich Brooks has made it clear, Randall Cobb will NOT play quarterback. He will however, run the Wildcat formation. The Wildcat formation will the Cats a chance to change the pace and flow of the game with one play and give a new dynamic to an offense that was in need of a change of pace last season.

DEFENSE
1) Stop Miami Playmakers- You see the stats of last year’s Red Hawk team and don’t really feel fearful of their offensive prowess. But, this team returns their top 4 skill players. The Red Hawks have a lot of
2) Big Plays- This year the Wildcat defense returns two preseason ALL SEC players on the defensive side of the ball. In the middle, linebacker Micah Johnson should be able to command the middle of the field, make the right calls and stop the Red Hawk ball carriers. At corner, Trevard Lindley should be able to shut down Miami’s top receiving threat. Lindley is on the watch list for the Nagurski, Berdnark, and Jim Thorpe awards. Although, football is a team game, these two players stayed one more season in the bluegrass to lift their name recognition and one great game at a time they should be able to.

Around College Football- Week 1

College Football Week 1
ACC
Florida State(#18) Over Miami
BIG TEN
Michigan Over Western Michigan
BIG 12
Oklahoma(#3) Over BYU(#20)
BIG EAST
Cincinnati Over Rutgers

Week One in the SEC

Just like last year I will be bringin you weekly projections for SEC games as well a key game per conference.

Today is the start of college football. I am heading down to Cincinnati to cover the "Rumble by the River".

Later tonight, I will post up a post game and some pictures of the game...it is supposed to be a big one up in Cincinnati.

Anyways here is what should happen around the SEC this weekend.

SEC WEEK 1
South Carolina @ N.C State- The Gamecocks kick off the college football weekend with a match up against a regional rival. N.C State is in a down year so South Carolina should have an edge….not too high on the Gamecocks this year, so this game should be close
WINNER- South Carolina…usc 7-3(W)

Charleston Southern @ FLORIDA(1)- The Gators begin defending their national championship against a school that might lose 100-0. It will be interesting to see just how many touchdowns Tim Tebow has to open the season in another Heisman hopeful year.
WINNER- Florida

GEORGIA (13) @ Oklahoma State (11) - Tough game for the Dawgs to open the season. I don’t see how a team that has to replace leaders at quarterback, running back, and receiver will play well enough to win in such a hostile environment this early in the season.
WINNER- Oklahoma State

Western Kentucky @ Tennessee- The Volunteers open the Lane Kiffin era with a game with the Hilltoppers. Should be a easy one for the Vols before next weeks revenge game verse UCLA. Keep an eye on how Jonathon Crompton plays, his progression will be key for the Volunteers success this season.
WINNER- Tennessee

Western Carolina @ Vanderbilt- The Commodores, off a bowl season host a team from the Southern Conference. The Dores should leave this game with a win and some confidence. All they can really hope for is confidence, next week they head to Baton Rouge.
WINNER- Vanderbilt

Kentucky @ Miami(OH)- The Wildcats head to Cincinnati in a game deemed; “The Rumble by the River.” Kentucky has won back to back opening games and holds the 2nd longest active streak for nonconference wins with 14. Look for the Cats to win handily over a Redhawk team that is in rebuilding mode with a new coach and a new system.
WINNER- Kentucky

Ole Miss(10) @ Memphis- Everyone will be gunning for the Rebels this year as they start the season with a non conference regional rivalry game @ Memphis. Look for Jevan Snead to have a strong first game as he looks to be in the Heisman race this coming season.
WINNER- OLE Miss

Alabama(5) vs Viginia Tech(7)- In the Chic Fila A opening game in held in Atlanta last year, the Crimson Tide upset a Clemson team which had their eyes set on a Nation Title run. This year the Tide will be the hunted and surprise no one. Virginia Tech grew up last year and now is one of the more veteran teams in the ACC. It will be hard for the Tide to replace two All Americans on the offensive line and their senior quarterback from a year ago so early….
WINNER- Virginia Tech

LSU(9) @ Washington- Traditionally LSU doesn’t like to travel to BCS conference schools in their non conference schedule. I am not sure if you can really count Washington a BCS school, as last year they went 0-12 and now have a new coach, new system, and start from ground zero. The Tigers enter this year with little hype….that will change as the season comes along.
WINNER- LSU

Missouri State @ Arkansas- The Razorbacks have some hope to return to bowl eligibility this season as they open the season with a tune up game against a Missouri Valley Conference team. Key thing to watch early is how strong the defense plays, they return 10 players from last years unit and should rise to be one of the top defenses in the SEC this year.
WINNER- Arkansas

Louisiana Tech @ Auburn- After the hiring, Gene Chizik was booed from the airport. In his opening game, he should be cheered as the Tigers open up with a very winnable and dominatable game. The Tigers have a new offensive system in place, and that should be an interesting thing to watch because last year their offense was TERRIBLE.
WINNER- Auburn

Jackson State @ Mississippi State- Two years removed from a bowl winning the season, the Bulldogs are starting over. Their opening game should be a nice win for their confidence.
WINNER- Mississippi State

Justin's Preseason Top 25

Pre Season Top 25
1) Florida
2) Texas
3) USC
4) Oklahoma
5) Ohio State
6) Alabama
7) Virginia Tech
8) Ole Miss
9) LSU
10) Penn State
11) Oklahoma State
12) Georgia
13) California
14) Georgia Tech
15) Boise State
16) TCU
17) Nebraska
18) Oregon
19) Oregon State
20) Iowa
21) Notre Dame
22) Florida State
23) Pittsburgh
24) North Carolina
25) BYU

2009 Way Too Early Bowl Projections...

2009 Bowl Season
BCS National Title- Florida v Texas
Orange Bowl- Rutgers v Florida State
Fiesta Bowl- Oklahoma State v TCU
Rose Bowl- USC v Ohio State
Sugar Bowl- Ole Miss v Notre Dame
Capital One- LSU v Penn State
Outback Bowl- Northwestern v Tennessee
Cotton Bowl- Alabama v Oklahoma
Gator Bowl- Nebraska v Georgia Tech
Chic-Fil-A Bowl- Georgia v Virginia Tech
Music City Bowl- Kentucky v North Carolina
Insight Bowl- Michigan v Colorado
Sun Bowl- Oregon v South Florida
Indepdence Bowl- Auburn v Kansas
Liberty Bowl- Arkansas v East Carolina
Holiday Bowl- California v Texas Tech
Emerald Bowl- Stanford v Clemson
Alamo Bowl- Michigan State v Kansas
Meineke Bowl- Pittsburgh v Boston College
Champs Sports Bowl- Miami (FL) v Iowa
Poinsettia Bowl- Arizona State v UTEP
Papa John’s Bowl- Cincinnati v Tulsa
GMAC Bowl- Akron v Wake Forest
Hawaii Bowl- UCLA v Air Force
Las Vegas Bowl- Arizona v Utah
Humanitarian Bowl- Oregon State v Boise State
Armed Forces Bowl- Houston v Army
Motor City Bowl- Minnesota v Central Michigan
Texas Bowl- West Virginia v Texas A and M
New Orleans Bowl- Southern Mississippi v Troy
St Petersberg Bowl- Florida Atlantic v Western Michigan
International Bowl- Ohio v Louisville
New Mexico Bowl- Colorado State v Louisiana Tech
Eagle Bank Bowl- Navy v Wake Forest

Florida Gators

Florida Gators
It’s a Tim Tebow world and college football is living in it. After two championships in three years, the Florida Gators are the preseason #1 team and have their eyes set on another National Title. To defend their title, the Gators return 11 on defense and the top player in college football maybe ever, Tim Tebow. This looks to be a special year in Gainesville and if all goes according to plan, the Gators might be the one winning it all again when all is said and done.

OFFENSE
Entering the season the Gators return their top rusher and top passer---Tim Tebow. The Gators with Tebow should be a force alone, but they do add experience at line. The line averages a monstrous 318 pounds per player and should hold their ground against the top SEC defenses. The question entering fall camp is how the receivers will do without their top 2 contributors from last year. The running game led by Demps and Rainy last year also need filled as both players are gone. The offense will be solidily Tim Tebow and through the past three years he’s proven that is enough to dominate most of the competition.

DEFENSE
What is scary about the returning national champions is the defense. Returning 11 from a national champion is unheard of!! The Gator defense will be led by first team All American middle line backer Brandon Spikes. Spikes led the team last year in tackles with 93, was second on the team with interceptions with 4, and added two sacks to an impressive statistical season. Leading the line will be the Gators sack master Carlos Dunlap. As a sophomore last year, Dunlap sacked the quarterback 9.5 times and should once again give SEC offenses headaches. The secondary also returns all four starters. Last season they entered the year all being underclassmen and now, with that year of experience, the Gators should be able to shut down opponents passing game well, too.

SEASONAL PROJECTIONS

The Gators return experience, a great coach, and what might end up to be the greatest college football player ever. Tim Tebow has his sights set on becoming the first player in a very long time to win the Heisman twice and to add another National title to his resume would not be that bad either. Other than experience, the Gators host rivals Tennessee, Florida State, and Georgia(‘neutral’…in Jacksonville, FL). The game which the Gators must watch out for is in Baton Rouge October 10. The Gators have not won in Death Valley their past 2 trips. I project the Gators to not stumble much this season and end the season where it is going to be started---as the best team in the country.

12-0

Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee Volunteers

In 2007 the Volunteers snuck into the East Division’s top spot and battled the soon to be national champion LSU Tigers in the national title. Why say they snuck into the top spot? Well, that is because of their wins were not impressive. In a down division, the Volunteers got clobbered by rebuilding rivals Florida and Alabama. It took them 5 overtimes to be Kentucky and needed last second heroics to take down Vanderbilt at home. I was so unimpressed by their performance that I projected the Vols to finish fifth in the East in 2008. Not to my surprise, the Volunteers struggled early. They began the season with a heart retching overtime loss to UCLA in Pasadena and never fully recovered. Their head coach Phil Fulmer was fired after 17 seasons at midseason and the struggled to find any identity the rest of the season. This year is a new day in Knoxville. The Volunteers have been the most talked about team in college football thanks to recruiting violations and smack talk handed out by their new head coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin talks the talk and if he can get the Vols to “walk the walk”, Rocky Top might be able to bounce back from a disappointing 5-7 2008 campaign.

OFFENSE
Last season the Vols had to replace a senior quarterback for a junior that looked to have the tools to be a solid SEC quarterback. Jonathon Crompton is a 6’4 pocket passing quarterback that looked to be stronger than that of what he was replacing. But Crompton struggled early and was pulled in favor of sophomore Nick Stephens midway through the season. Inconsistency at quarterback held up the rest of the offense as their play maker, running back Arian Foster took leaps and bounds backward gaining a mere 527 yards last season. This year the starter at running back appears to be true freshman Bryce Brown. Brown was the number one running back recruit and should be ready to produce immediately for the Volunteer offense. The line returns bigger and stronger than last season’s group. All averaging at least 300 pounds, Tennessee should have enough experience to open holes and give Crompton more time to throw.

DEFENSE
The defense should improve on their #3 ranked SEC defense with athe addition of NFL defensive guru coordinator Monte Kiffin. Returning for senior season in are the middle of the defense—tackle Wes Brown and Dan Williams. The experience in the middle will help slow down the SEC’s top rushing attacks and give the linebackers the ability to see the plays develop and get to the ball. The line will need to make plays early especially, because the line backers are inexperienced and untested. In the defensive back field all eyes will be on strong safety Eric Berry. Tennessee has put Berry on the Heisman watch list as he looks to improve upon last seasons 72 tackles, 3 sacks, and 7 interceptions. Having Berry roam the field will be critical to the Vols success early this season.

SEASON PROJECTIONS
Inability to move the ball caused the Volunteers to start off slow and never get into a winning groove. Last year was tumultuous in Knoxville. The Vols lost to all their rivals—Florida, Auburn, Georgia, and Alabama. As well as suffer the most embarrassing loss ever- at home to Wyoming on Homecoming. This year,look for the Volunteers to avenge some losses and retake their place nationally in college football. Although they have to go to Gainesville, which will be humbling for Kiffin, the Vols will be able to pull upsets against West foes Alabama and Mississippi. Rocky top should bounce back to form this season….

9-3

Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia faces a rebuilding project this year as they lose their most productive offensive weapons at quarterback, running back and receiver. Last year the Bulldogs entered the season as the preseason #1 team. Injuries and a tough schedule landed the Dogs to a three loss season and the Capital One Bowl. This year Georgia hopes that their ability to recruit can lead them back into the national picture. The Dawgs will be tested early and if the replacements at the skill positions can fill in with little drop off the Bulldogs can be a dark horse in the 2009 season.
OFFENSE

Fresh faces at the skill positions will be the story early in Athens. Georgia replaces three year starter Mathew Stafford with senior Joe Cox at quarterback. Cox, although a senior is untested, but seen as a leader amongst his teammates. Gone also is running back Knowshon Moreno. His replacement is sophomore Caleb King. King got some experience last year as he gained 247 yards and averaged 5.1 yads per carry. The running game might be stronger than last year’s due to a healthy offensive line. The line returns all five starters and returns 2 starters from the 2007 season that were out with injuries last season. This line should be one of the strongest and deepest in college football. A lot of hope rest on the cohesion of this unit. At receiver look for A.J Green to continue putting up good numbers; in his freshman season last year, Green led the Dawgs in receptions (56), yards (963), and touchdowns (8).
DEFENSE

The defense returns 8 starters and should be primed for a better year. Last year the Bulldogs were 8th in SEC defenses. This can be attributed to so many injuries to the defensive line. This year the front 7 returns 2 All SEC players in defensive tackle Geno Atkins and Will linebacker Rennie Curran. The defensive backs look to be a weak spot as they lose 3 of their top performers. Look for teams to test their pass game early as the Bulldogs are projected to have a youth movement at the corner positions.

SEASONAL PREDICTION
Having to replace veteran leadership is tough for any school even the schools that get top 10 recruiting classes yearly. Once again the Bulldogs will be tested early, they face Oklahoma State in Stillwater to begin the season, then play back to back conference games before hosting Arizona State and traveling to LSU. In fact, the Bulldogs youth and inexperience might put them in a hole before getting out of the first week of October. Look for Georgia to lose games early.

8-4

Kentucky Wildcats

Three straight years the Kentucky Wildcats have reached a bowl game and have won all three. Known for basketball, the football team has stolen some headlines in Lexington as they enter the 2009 campaign looking to go bowling four straight years—something NEVER seen in Lexington in over 100 years of existence. In their way is a brutal SEC schedule, a loss of some star talent on defensive line, and huge question marks on offense. Head Coach Rich Brooks doesn’t seem too phased by the national and local media calling for the Cats to drop to last in the East as Brooks put it; “We are picked last every year.” And since they are picked last, Kentucky can only surprise teams in the coming season.

OFFENSE

In Lexington the talk has been centered around the quarterback position. Last season, Kentucky began with sophomore Mike Hartline under center, but when he was unable to move the ball he was replaced by true freshman Randall Cobb. Cobb was recruited to play receiver and play in the Wildcat formation, but Hartline’s inability to lead allotted Cobb to get a majority of the reps until an injury at the end of the season. This past offseason, Kentucky recruited two of the nation’s top quarterbacks- running quarterback Morgan Newton and true pocket passer Ryan Mossakowski. Prior to fall camp, both were thought to have a strong shot at the quarterback position. However, both have shown some their age and lack of maturity behind center. It will be Mike Hartline’s team as for as long as he can hold it. Randall Cobb will now move to fulltime receiver and run the Wildcat formation when needed. The running game should continue to be strong with senior Alfonzo Smith getting a bulk of the carries. Also coming back will be Derrick Locke. Locke is has a tremendous freshman season but last year had a devastating knee injury. If Locke can return to his freshman form, Kentucky should have a solid one-two punch in the backfield. The offensive line returns seven players with starting experience, which should only create more time for quarterback Mike Hartline and create holes for the running game.

DEFENSE
Defensively the Wildcats hope to get back to the early season form of a year ago. Entering the fifth game of the season, Kentucky was in the top 10 defenses in the country. However injuries at the line backing core and inconsistency at the corners caused the Cats to struggle the rest of the season. A major cause for worry on defense within the interior, The Wildcats must replace 3 fourths of their defensive line. The huge strength to the Cats though will be at the second and third levels. At corner, Kentucky fields pre-season first team All-American Trevard Lindley who last year picked off four passes and shut down opposing team’s top receiver. At linebacker, senior Micah Johnson will lead the defense. Johnson had an opportunity to leave early last season and possibly be a solid second round draft choice. However, he decided to give it a go one more year and with an injury free year he could put himself in the first round of the NFL draft in April. Other than the two standout players, Kentucky only returns 2 other players and must rely on their strongest recruiting class yet, to mature quickly and play at SEC speed.

SEASONAL PROJECTIONS
With fall camp 3 weeks in the books, Rich Brooks has said numerous times that this team is the best all around team he has seen since he has been here. If that is the case Kentucky could be bowl bound for a fourth consecutive year. Kentucky will be battle tested early as the schedule appears daunting. After an opening game in Cincinnati against Miami of Ohio, the Cats get a bye week. Following the bye, Kentucky must play 11 straight weeks. Depth has always been an issue for Kentucky in the SEC, so the Big Blue faithful will truly see how ready Kentucky is to compete in the most competitive conference in football early this season. Following the bye, Kentucky faces rival Louisville, Florida, and Alabama in consecutive weeks. In October, the Wildcats head to Columbia and play Steve Spurrier and South Carolina and go to Auburn. Although Kentucky has NEVER beaten a Steve Spurrier led team, if they can get by the Gamecocks, and win all the nonconference games- Miami, Louisville, Eastern Kentucky, Louisiana-Monroe; Kentucky has a shot at finishing the season with seven wins (assuming a win in Vanderbilt and hosting Mississippi State). Rich Brooks has been known to pull an upset or two in his tenure here in Lexington, taking down Georgia in 2006 and LSU in 2007 so the ball is really up in the air to see if he can pull another this season. Look for Kentucky to finish around the same as the past three years and reach a fourth consecutive bowl.

8-4