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SEC Prediction of the week

South Carolina Gamecocks at Georgia

Last year Georgia squeeked by 14 to 7 vs the gamecocks. There is a lot riding on this game since the winner will most likely be 2nd in the SEC east (behind Florida) when its all said and done.

This game will come down to the quarterbacks. Which quarterback comes out strong this season and really commands their team will make the difference.

If the gamecocks can keep the bulldogs from scoring more than 14 points then I think they may be able to pull out a win. One big problem is the tough opening schedule for South Carolina. They were at N.C. State last week and in Athens this week. So the bulldogs will have the homefield advantage.

Its going to be a close one. Spurrier started off his season with a win on the road. While Richt and his offense just stalled against Oklahoma St coming back to Athens with a loss.

My prediction is South Carolina 21 Georgia 14

SEC Prediction of the week

The time is almost here. September 5th starts off the college football season and this year is going to be a great one. ESPN's College Game Day will start off the season for the second time in a row in Atlanta for the 8pm Alabama and Virginia Tech game. Will Nick Saban and his # 5 Alabama Crimson Tide be able to start off the season with a win? It will be a tough one against Frank beamer and his #7 Hookies.

Alabama is starting out a new quarterback Greg McElroy this year and that could spell trouble for the Crimson Tide.

Nick Saban had this to say about opening the season against Virginia Tech:

"I'm concerned about each opponent that we play one game at a time. Virginia Tech has very, very good team. I think that regardless of who you open with, you're always concerned about anybody that has to play in that game that doesn't have a lot of experience, and I would say that probably gets magnified a little bit at the quarterback position, although I think Greg (McElroy) has done very good job throughout not only this camp, but also in the spring. I feel like he has done a lot to gain the respect of his teammates and has done a good job of effectively executing what we want to do."

After last years 12-0 regular season; their first since 1994 the Alabama Crimson Tide have a lot to live up to this year. Will they beat out Virginia Tech to start the season off with a bang?

My answer, Yes they will. Alabama has the defense to stop Tech in their tracks and give rookie quarterback McElroy a chance to show what he's made of. That is if the very tough defense for the Hookies doesnt stop him. 

Its gonna be close but I see Alamaba winning 17 to 14.  

SEC Western Division part 2

Arkansas Razor Backs

Bobby Petrino had his first losing season as a college head coach last season. This year he hopes to turn that around and show that the Razor Backs have what it takes.

Ryan Mallett returns this year as quarterback and running back Michael Smith will be leading the Hogs ground attack. Arkansas is also returning a solid group of receivers which should make for an effective passing attack.

Nine starters return for the Hogs on defense. That should make for improvement on that side of the ball.

The secondary was simply horrible last season and improvement there is vital for the success of the Hogs. They may have to rely heavily on incoming players.

Auburn Tigers 

New head coach Gene Chizik begins his rein as head football coach at Auburn. Will he make any improvements over last year and make fans happy once again? Many of the same problems that plagued the Tigers last season are still an issue this year.

The biggest problem is Quarterback. As of writing this they still havent picked a starting QB. In the spring Kody Burns and Neil Caudle could manage to grab the starting quarterback position. Burns was ineffective last season and Caudle has been plagued by career injuries.

The wide receiver position will have to count on incoming freshmen to contribute. Last year's leading receiver was walk-on Rod Smith. The receivers lack of experience hampered the success of the offense.

The defense should be pretty good this year. Antonio Coleman heads up a solid defensive unit for the Tigers.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Another new head coach coming to the SEC this year is Dan Mullen. He comes over from Florida to try and resurrect the Bulldogs.

Senior Tyson Lee is the quarterback expected to try and run Mullen's spread offense.

Mullen was hoping for walkons to make contributions to the wide receivers. He doesn't have much to go on from last year.

The defense should be solid this season. The one bright spot for Mullen.

SEC Western Division Part 1

Last week I broke down the SEC eastern division so this week I will go over the western division.

Who will end up in Atlanta? There are so many good teams in the SEC west so which one will end up in Atlanta playing the Gators?

Alabama Crimson Tide-

Nick Saban once again leads the Tide into 2009. You just know he must still be fuming after the two game disaster at the end of last season. The focal this yeat has been all about finishing. The Tide has one big advantage this season and that is their schedule. Most of their difficult games will be at home. 

Saban believes they have a solid Quarterback in junior Greg McElroy and as long as he can pull it out this year and gain the respect of his team I see no reason why the Tide wont be back in Atlanta this year.

Alabama has to replace three starters on the offensive front. If practice is any indication things are looking pretty well.  James Carpenter, a transfer from Juco, has shown a lot of potential and ability to be a solid starter at the left tackle position. William Vlachos, who is probably the strongest player on the team, has grabbed the starting center spot. Brian Motley came away from spring as the starter at right guard.

The Alabama defense will once again be amongst the best in the nation. Terrence Cody returns as well as Rolando McClain and All-SEC Freshman Donta Hightower manning the middle.

Julio Jones who is one of the top wide receivers in the nation returns to Alabama and Mark Ingram powers the running game..

LSU Tigers-

Les Miles struggled in a number of areas last year. One of the areas the Tigers struggled in the most  was at the quarterback position.  After Andrew Hatch got injured LSU brought in Jarret Lee and everything went downhill  from there.

Jordan Jefferson looks much more consistent and ready to play Quarterback this season. Miles has been pleased with the solid performance from newcomer Russell Shepard as well. Any improvement in the passing game would be significant.

Richard Dickson and Charles Scott will head up the ground attack.

Former Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis was brought in to bring new life to the defense and return it to its former glory.

LSU has a very tough schedule this year and most likely they will not be heading to Atlanta this year.

Ole Miss-

Houston Nutt will be leading a very talented Ole Miss team into 2009. This could be the surprise team of the season.

Jevan Snead returns to the Quarterback position and he is considered by many to be one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC.

Wide receiver Dexter McCluster gives the Rebels a great chance of making some big plays. Running backs Cordera Eason and Brandon Bolden will need to step up this year to round out the offense.

The biggest area for concern is in the secondary despite the return of Safety Kenderick Lewis. Last season saw inconsistent play in the secondary and really hurt Ole Miss at critical times. If the Rebels want to contend in the West they will need someone to step up in the backfield.

SEC Eastern Division part 2

Vanderbilt Commodores

2008 was a big year for the Commodores. For the first time in over two decades they finished the football season with a winning record. This year could be a great one for Vanderbilt since they are welcoming back 17 starters.

Senior Mackenzi Adams and sophomore Larry Smith are battling for the starting quarterback position.

Jared Hawkins returns as the leading rusher. Last year Hawkins rushed for a team-high 593 yards.

Terence Jeffers who transferred in from UConn will step in right away after the departures of George Smith and Sean Walker. Jeffers had 582 receiving yards with UConn and will most likely be the top receiving threat for the Commodores.

Coaches are hoping the new no-huddle offense will help out their weak line. They do have seven offensive linemen returning, but the offensive line wasn't a powerhouse last year.

Vanderbilt has a solid defensive line returning, led by defensive tackle Greg Billinger. The strength of the defense will be the linebacker group. Patrick Benoist returns and Chris Marve leads the group.

Tennessee Volunteers

With a new coach will the Volunteers fair better than the previous few years. Lane Kiffin was brought in to replace the departed Phillip Fulmer and he hit the ground with his mouth running. With an offseason filled with outlandish remarks, child-like behavior, and numerous NCAA secondary violations, Vol fans have to be wondering if their new coach has what it takes.

A major highlite of the season is senior Jonathan Crompton returning at quarterback. Compton has a great arm but is inconsistent. On top of that he is playing for his fourth offensive coordinator in five years, and that hasn't helped.

Senior Montario Hardesty returns to lead the rushing attack. Incoming freshmen Bryce Brown and David Oku will compete for playing time right away.

The outlook for receivers is pretty bleak with the exception of junior Gerald Jones who is returning as the lead receiver. Highly recruited freshman Nu’Keese Richardson will be expected to step in right away and prove himself.

The Vols have a solid offensive line returning lead by Josh McNeil at Center. There's plenty of experience with senior starters at guard at left tackle so they should have a good offensive line.

The defensive linemen will be lead by junior Chris Walker and junior Ben Martin is just as good on the other end. Rico McCoy is the only Linebacker returning. The Tennessee defense will most likely be very weak this year. Not a good thing when you are in the SEC.

Kentucky Wildcats

If Kentucky is lucky they may have the kind of offensive success they enjoyed in 2006-2007.

Junior Mike Hartline returns as the starter at quarterback. In order to obe a success however, he must improve upon his 1,666 yards from last season.

The backfield lost Tony Dixon so senior tailback Alfonso Smith will have the opportunity to step up. Smith is a fast back who rushed for 204 yards last season.

Once again Kentucky has a group of average wide receivers with one exception. Randall Cobb returns this year after his first full season as a wide receiver. Junior college transfer Chris Matthews will have an opportunity to jump in and help out.

The Wildcats have lost three of their four defensive linemen from last season with senior tackle Corey Peters the only returning starter. Micah Johnson will be returning to lead the linebacker group. He had 93 tackles last season.

SEC Eastern Division Part 1

Florida Gators

The Gators have won two out of the last three national championships, and I believe they will be contending for one again in 2009.

Senior Tim Tebow, the All-American quarterback, returns for his final season at Florida. During his career, Tebow has accounted for 6,390 yards and 67 touchdowns. He has proven he is the best college player in the game today.

Pearcy Harvin is gone, but the Gators return a decent group of receivers led by senior David Nelson, whose contributions were huge in the SEC Championship game last season. Only the wide receiver position is in question.

There will be a strong offensive line with both All-SEC guards returning. Junior Carl Johnson must step into the left tackle position vacated by Phil Trautwein. In all, there will be three new starters on the offensive line.

The Gators Defense returns with one of the best in college football. Jermaine Cunningham leads the defensive line with 52 tackles and six sacks last season. All-American Brandon Spikes returns for his senior year as the heart and soul of the defense.

I expect Florida to repeat as champions in the east and follow the road to Atlanta.

Georgia Bulldogs 

Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno are gone and they will not be easily replaced.

Senior Joe Cox enters fall camp as the favorite to replace Stafford. Cox may not possess the big arm that Stafford had, but he is a smart player who can manage the offense.

Sophomore Caleb King is the favorite to replace Moreno. King had a disappointing freshman season and sophomore Richard Samuel is thought of as a serviceable back. This makes one wonder about the rushing attack from the Bulldogs.

The receivers are still up in the air. A.J. Green the freshman All-American will lead the receivers. Will senior Michael Moore be able to step up and fill the spot opposite Green. Moore has disappointed in his efforts to this point.

Trinton Sturdivant who missed the 2008 season with an inury will return at left tackle. Center Ben Jones returns and is a solid starter. Chemistry on the line is a must if Georgia is to compete for the east this year.

The big question however is the defense. I think that will be the weakest part of the team.

South Carolina Gamecocks

Head coach Steve Spurrier enters this season with a 15-17 SEC record at South Carolina. Being a huge gators fan makes me feel bad for the old ball coach. He has brought in several new coaches to help revamp the offense. Let's see if this works.

Chris Smelley bolted to Alabama to play baseball leaving the Gamecocks without a quarterback. Stephen Garcia is the number one guy vying for quarterback. He was very inconsistent in 2008 and no player behind him has attempted a pass in a college game. For a position that Spurrier excels in, he has a lot of problems with quarterbacks at South Carolina.

Garcia was the second leading rusher on the team last year so that leaves South Carolina with only an  average group of backs. No back on the roster has more than 200 career rushing yards.

Half of the receivers from last season are gone. Sophomore Jason Barnes is probably the best of the bunch. He showed some potential last season. The one highlite is Senior Moe Brown who is returning this year and has 633 career receiving yards.

The new line coach Eric Wolford hopes to turn things around this year. Improvement on the line is critical as they gave up 39 sacks last season, ranking as the second most in the conference behind Arkansas.

The defense lost a number of key players, especially in the secondary. South Carolina has lost their top three corners from last season.

USA Today preseason Top 25 football coaches poll

1. Florida (53) 13-1 1,466 1
2. Texas (4) 12-1 1,386 3
3. Oklahoma (1) 12-2 1,358 5
4. Southern Cal (1) 12-1 1,321 2
5. Alabama 12-2 1,134 6
6. Ohio State 10-3 1,126 11
7. Virginia Tech 10-4 1,020 14
8. Penn State 11-2 988 8
9. LSU 8-5 917 nr
10. Mississippi 9-4 889 15
11. Oklahoma State 9-4 861 18
12. California 9-4 711 25
13. Georgia 10-3 707 10
14. Oregon 10-3 694 9
15. Georgia Tech 9-4 559 22
16. Boise State 12-1 542 13
17. TCU 11-2 461 7
18. Utah 13-0 404 4
19. Florida State 9-4 371 23
20. North Carolina 8-5 293 nr
21. Iowa 9-4 257 20
22. Nebraska 9-4 236 nr
23. Notre Dame 7-6 194 nr
24. Brigham Young 10-3 178 21
25. Oregon State 9-4 165 19

Others receiving votes (with 2008 records): Kansas (8-5) 138; Michigan State (9-4) 136; Texas Tech (11-2) 114; Cincinnati (11-3) 90; Pittsburgh (9-4) 64; West Virginia (9-4) 55; Rutgers (8-5) 51; Miami (Fla.) (7-6) 46; Missouri (10-4) 44; Illinois (5-7) 38; Clemson (7-6) 30; South Carolina (7-6) 18; UCLA (4-8) 14; Auburn (5-7) 12; Nevada (7-6) 11; South Florida (8-5) 11; Kentucky (7-6) 9; North Carolina State (6-7) 7; Arkansas (5-7) 6; Wisconsin (7-6) 6; Northwestern (9-4) 5; Southern Mississippi (7-6) 4; Wake Forest (8-5) 4; Arizona (8-5) 3; Boston College (9-5) 3; Central Michigan (8-5) 3; East Carolina (9-5) 3; Colorado (5-7) 2; Maryland (8-5) 2; Navy (8-5) 2; Tennessee (5-7) 2; Houston (8-5) 1; Michigan (3-9) 1; Minnesota (7-6) 1; Troy (8-5) 1.

The Samurai Club

Twenty one year old Sam Querrey is a promising young tennis player from Thousand Oaks, California. He is 6'6" and 200 lbs. His height gives him an awesome advantage when it comes to serving. What makes this young athlete stand out to me is not his tennis skills (which are great), but rather his fan club the Samurai.

The are a group of Sam's high school friends who have formed a fan club to support him in his carrer. The group ranges in age from 17 to 23 and they show up to his matches shirtless and wearing body paint.

Some players (mostly Tommy Haas) and some fans have complained that the group of guys have "no class" and that they are not showing respect to the sport.

WTF?? How uppity is this sport? If they want more viewers and more fans they need to chill out. Personally I applaud these guys for what they are doing. You can go to a football, baseball, hockey or most and other game and see guys shirtless wearing body paint cheering on their teams. So why not tennis?

It doesnt hurt either that the guys are pretty hot and look good shirtless. What can I say. I'm a sucker for good looking shirtless guys getting all fired up at sporting events.

To learn more about the Samurai check out their facebook page.

 

In Your Face Milorad Cavic

Last summer, Michael Phelps beat out Milorad Cavic by .01 seconds at the touch for the 100 fly Olympic gold medal. Cavic decided to srie the shit this week, stating earlier that he believed he touched first and that the Omega timing system was faulty in Beijing. He was anxious for a rematch so he could show the world that he was better than Phelps. Meanwhile, Michael Phelps just kept his mouth shut, and focused his energies on the pool.

Needless to say the swimming world, if not the whole world, had it's eyes focused on the men's 100 fly at the FINA World Championships in Rome as Michael Phelps and Milorad Cavic got to go head to head once again.

And the result... Michael Phelps beat out Cavic again, but this time by a much wider margin as both cleared the world record and the 50-second barrier. Phelps won in 49.82, while Cavic finished second in 49.95. Both swims broke Cavic's world record of 50.01 set during semifinals.

"You saw me go nuts," Phelps said about the emotions of the race. "A bunch of my friends at home said I was going to take that record back. I just tried to stay as relaxed as I could. I knew if I was 23.4 or 23.5 that would be enough. After I saw Cavic out in 22.8 yesterday, I knew I had to be out faster. How can it not motivate you when there are things that are said that just fire me up? I will always welcome those comments."

"I was pretty sure I would be more ahead at the 50-meter mark," Cavic said. "To my surprise, I held strong at the end. That's just what he is, he is the comeback king. That's a testament to Michael Phelps. He can do it all. I just told him that ‘He is the man' at the end of the race. I don't know what it is that I said wrong or that I was trash talking. It is just up to interpretation. I said some things that weren't directly to him. You can take one thing and turn it into something else and use it. I don't regret anything. We're trying to promote this sport. I'm just glad I can be a part of it with Mike."

Hawaii Head Coach Drops F-Bomb

Hawaii head football coach Greg McMackin dropped the f-bomb during a WAC news conference yesterday. He was referring to his team’s embarrassing loss to Notre Dame last December.

Here is his exact quote.

“I know most of the coaches in the country are rooting for us to beat Notre Dame,” McMackin said. “Charlie gives this talk, ‘We do something special at Notre Dame,’ and (the players) get up and they do this little cheer … this little faggot dance.”

He then asked reporters not to write about the fact that he used the word "faggot".

Obviously the reporters didnt listen and reported on it right away. He later cam back to offer up some lame ass apology. Then after the University of Hawaii heard about it they made him apolopgize yet again. Neither time seemed very sincere and he pretty much came off as a douche bag.