From around here

It's been a while since I've seen this picture. It also feels like ages to me since UGA has had this kind of heart (DJ's team withstanding as he was part of this squad too). This is why I am not all that sad to see Stafford go. Knowshon played hard and I could tell every down that he got the ball that it really meant something to him. I think that coming to play at a school that you have no connections to and grew up thousands of miles away from just doesn't work sometimes, for anyone involved. Don't get me wrong, I understand recruiting and all of the different reasons why kids pick certain schools. But at this point, the phrase "Close down the borders" is something I am becoming more and more interested in. Every kid in Georgia and around the southeast for the most part understands what it means to be a "Bulldog" and why it is so important, not only to the coaches or the school but to the Dawg nation in general. I understand how much FSU and UF hate each other and the bad blood between LSU and Bama is easy to see for me. That is why I want the next batch of Dawgs to have leadership and be taught by the guys already on the team that for them, there is nothing more important than having the honor of playing Between the Hedges and representing UGA every Saturday in the fall.

Matt Stafford on Mike & Mike

As posted on LTDx.Blospot.com

Matt Stafford joined Mike & Mike this morning on ESPN Radio - linked below. Good listen.

http://sports.espn.go.com/stations/player?context=audio&id=3871721

Violating Honor Code = Being a College Student

2 BYU players are being investigated for violating the school's honor code. Scandalous! I bet there's even students smoking pot and having sex. What has become of Brigham Young University? Oh yeah, kids like to get high and fuck. Even if they're Mormon - or "Mormon" (cough-Jim McMahon-cough). Don't try to hide it, Utah; I've seen Big Love.

Our Greatest Founding Father

Ba-Zing!

I was exploring the archive over at marriedtothesea.com, and found this little gem:

They post a new cartoon daily, using antique engravings, vintage instructional and educational pics, and any other outdated illustrative devices they can lay their hands on. It can be a little hit or miss, but this one flies right out of the park.

Ahhh, Larry Craig. What a hypocritical douche.

Stuff From All Over

Here's some stuff that has popped out to me while rambling the dangerous alleys of the interweb this fine, fine day.

1. Courtesy of cracked.com:

Did European movie companies even watch these movies before they made the posters? Man, Communism was apparently a straight-up Mother-Fucker on the fragile psyches of those doomed to dwell there.

My favorite poster? This one:

Give up? It's Ghostbusters. That's right. This is how the Czech interpreted fucking Ghostbusters. Europeans are so much more sophisticated...

2. Get the Picture, in a rare diversion from football, opened my eyes to an invention deadlier than the ovens at Auschwitz: the Bacon Explosion. It's sausage. Stuffed with bacon. And, hopefully served with an angioplasty.

Here it is in all it's delicious and heart-clogging glory:

3. It will be here soon! The final poster:

I'm giggly with anticipation.

MWC vs. Big East

Should the Mountain West get an automatic bid spot to the BCS? Some say yes, but others fear that instead of adding the Rocky Mountain Gang to the table, the system would replace the weakest of the current auto-bids, the Big East. Is that fair? Well, this system isn't about fairness, is it? But, I will say, we need to move slowly on this. The MWC had an AWESOME year, but how do they compare to the Big East over, say, the last few seasons? That's what Brian Bennett breaks down here. He provides good insight into this debate. We cannot go on '08 alone. What if things revert back in the next year or two and West Virginia's knocking off Georgia and Oklahoma again and the standard bearer for the MWC is 8-4 BYU? Then we'd have to do this all over again.

Here's an idea: Drop the Big East and keep the MWC out. Then you have 5 automatic bids and more room for at-larges coming out of the better conferences. The SEC and Big XII could consistently place 3 competitive teams into top tier play.

I'm not sure if I'd actually espouse this idea, it's just always fun to mention how great the SEC is. Do you remember that we won the Cotton Bowl and the BCS Title game against Big-XII teams? Just checking.

New QB's make debut

Quarterbacks Aaron Murray, Zach Mettenberger, and O-Lineman Dallas Lee are all early enrollment freshmen at Georgia. They've been here since classes started, but the quarterbacks had to wait until last night to get their first practice with the team. It's all here in Marc Weisszer's blog.

Things that stand out:

Murray's broken leg has been a concern, even though he returned form the injury early and led his team through the playoffs and to a state title. He also played on it in the high school all-American game. The trainers here are playing it safe and laying him up a bit.

"Murray said he hasn’t been cleared to do all the running that his teammates are doing now to keep pressure off the leg, but took part in seven-on-seven"

At least he's in the passing drills. The leg will heal on it's own, but I want him learning routes, protections and reading fronts and blitzes now. I think the 7-on-7's will be a good adjustment and he still has all of spring and summer to heal up.

Mettenberger, from right up the street in Watkinsville, is no stranger to the program, saying:

“Last year I was around a lot and the leadership wasn’t too great last year,” Mettenberger said. “I’ve been here three weeks and I already can tell that the leadership and the seniors, they are trying to win a championship again. They want to win an SEC championship. They want a spot to play in the national title.So far the leadership has been outstanding in my opinion.”

As for who will play next season, my guess would be we'll see Joe Cox leading us on to T. Boone Pickens field. He's earned his spot, and I think we all remember the near miss he saved us from against Colorado. If one of the kids passes him along the way, so be it. But, just like Joe T., Cox deserves his shot. What's intriguing to me, however, is where's Logan Gray?

Online Dynasty News - Heavy is the brow that wears the...Headset

I have gone 0-3 since finally donning my headset in dynastic competition again. The losses include a 38-0 drubbing at Rutgers, a closer 35-27 drop to USF, and a 28-27 squeaker to WVU.

A small, but vocal, force in the BearCat nation have even started calling for my head. It's tough times here in Nippert. But, as always, the claws are out, and GO BEARCATS!

Remember to follow everyone's online dynasty progress at LTDx.

Needless to say, I need a strong finish against Clemson and a solid bowl win. Maybe the new digs are bad online juju...

Thou Shalt Not Run Up The Score

Holy (literally) Shit. 100-0. Clay Travis had this up earlier and I had to dig a little deeper.

A team that won a basketball game 100-0 is seeking a forfeit because winning that way "does not reflect a Christ-like and honorable approach to competition."

Does Jesus really care about sports? If so, I owe a lot of post-game interview athletes an apology. And, isn't the real sin here the level of SUCK achieved by Dallas Academy?

If god were just, those girls who collapsed and allowed themselves to be drubbed like that would burn in Hell forever. But, that's just me.

"Dallas Academy coach Jeremy Civello told The Dallas Morning News that the game turned into a "layup drill," with the opposing team's guards waiting to steal the ball and drive to the basket. Covenant scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and "finally eased up when they got to 100 with about four minutes left," he said."

What did people in the stands do? I would've paid $50 to see this. As a nonpartisan viewer, I would have lauded the Lady Ballers to the century mark with unbridled enthusiasm.

As for the losers: "several Dallas Academy players said they were frustrated during the game but felt it was a learning opportunity." What did they learn? Apparently nothing between tip-off and the final buzzer. Stand in the lane, throw an elbow, something. I think if they want to protect these girls sensibilities and the sportsmanship of the game, they should institute a mercy rule, or just apply the forfeit score to the same outcome, allowing Covenant to keep the win, but with a 2-o score.

On a personal note, I would have violently fouled out of this motherfuckin' game around the 40-0 mark.

Profit Sharing - The Key to Success?

According to the report on equity in athletics disclosure, Georgia ranks third in football revenue behind Texas and Ohio State. The 'Horns and Bucks are tied at almost 60m, while the Dawgs bring in around 59m. What's really funny is that once you deduct expenses, UGA operates with the highest profit margin of any other program.

Top College Football Profits (last season, btw)
Georgia $44.1 million
Texas $42.5 million
Michigan $37.6 million
Florida $32.4 million
Ohio State $28.5 million

That's all well and good. But, then you see Richt's desire to retain coaches. Add that in with the salary wars and coach sniping that's going on here in the SEC and quotes like this:

“If you’ve got the right staff, which I think we do, I think staff stability is very important,” he said. “Prior to us getting here, I think Brian VanGorder was, like, the fifth defensive coordinator in five years. I think Neil Callaway was the fifth line coach in four years. Georgia was certainly talented prior to us coming in, but having that stability was valuable for having the success that we have had.”

And you have to wonder why, in reality, we're not paying anyone to stay on staff. If we have this money, and we have these coaches we want to keep, and we're in a new age of assistant/position salaries, why would we not use said money to increase salaries to said coaches?

The follow-up. My favorite part:

"Then again, Georgia’s assistants’ pay is close[r] to Kentucky’s ($1.89 million) than it is Bama’s [or] LSU’s."

OK. So we have more profit than anyone (including Notre freakin' Dame), and we're paying our coaches Kentucky level money. Nice.

Is it really this cut and dry. God, I hope not. I mean, there's this piece of info:

"Florida’s assistant coaches actually made only $31,000 more than Georgia’s assistants in 2008"

Unfortunately, it's followed up with this:

"Then again, those UF assistants are enrolled in a generous pension plan in which they’re vested after only five years and that earns them a lot of hidden money."

Seriously - there's no way Charlie Strong's clinging to that UF job for a measly 310k. There's extra money in that contract somewhere. Stability and loyalty are hard found and go a looong way to success (Gardner/UGA and Strong/UF), but eventually, money (or opportunity) wins out, even for a life-long guy.

And, I wouldn't get too comfortable with that "stable and secure budget" just yet, Florida. We still have some re-negs coming up.

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Why is Charlie Strong still the DC at UF? He should be a head-coach somewhere. But, apparently, there are some strikes against him.

Age and interracial marriage? Jesus, its like Cocoon meets Mississippi Burning. I mean, Mike Price is a head coach, for fuck's sake.

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Get in the Zone

More smartfootball:

http://smartfootball.blogspot.com/2009/01/fire-zone-blitzes.html



If FTS was a class, Chris Brown's blog would be the textbook. This is a very detailed, insightful breakdown of certain zone packages. Auburn should take note of this, especially Malzhan.

Here's a basic fire zone-blitz:

Alabama has used this to great success, but also had it shoved up their ass by the overachieving Utes in the Sugar Bowl.

Quiz tomorrow...

Mike Vick's New Pastime

Ol' #7 has moved on from dog fighting, but, according to the leaked results of his empathy test from PETA, AB-H blogger David Ching thinks he might be formulating a new animal-based hobby...

http://blogs.onlineathens.com/node/804

Here's the entire test: http://blog.peta.org/archives/Empathy%20class%20test.pdf

By the way, Micul Vik be a gud speler.

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I still think Mike Vick is a piece of shit. If he suits up for the Falcons again, I might have to switch fandoms. I know he's just as much a product of his environment s anyone from similar, impoverished circumstances, but I really just don't like him. Part of it, I think, is because I never wanted him in ATL. I said for years that we needed to trade him before he got hurt or went to jail. Well, there you go. I know he was "exciting," but a QB should be reliable. A QB should be a vocal, protect the ball, and lead by example. Vick=0, Ryan=all 3 (as a rookie, no less!).

I'd rather have terrorist fist bumps!

Why do we need to know this about the first couple?!?!



FISTING?! Rough sex is their business! There are many other jokes to be made here, I'm just laughing too hard to type them.

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This video has popped up all over, from Clay Travis to WWTDD. I didn't find it first, but my god, I'm glad someone did. I voted for Obama, but after hearing this, I feel I should have volunteered for the fucking campaign. Now, that's change I can believe in!

Spring Game Televised - WE ARE IMPORTANT!!!

The Georgia Bulldogs' spring game will be televised...on ESPN! It's been available to view on TV through the foxsportssuoth channels for years, now. But, who are we kidding? That shit's garbage. We up in the big leagues, now! ESPN is the end all, be all - the top dawg of sports TV. You know what, though? That doesn't change the fact that spring games ARE FUCKING BORING. And, sadly, that doesn't change the fact that I watch them religiously (addiction sigh).

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Florida did this last year. And won a national title. Guess what? We still don't have a Tim Tebow.

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Spring game weekend is also a certain someone's celebration of freedom before he ties the knot [I'm looking at you HW1 (you no-posting SOB)]. I know this seems besides the point, but drunken shenanigans and TV are one thing for a regular season game. I'm not sure how it'll play out on G-Day...We don't need video proof of us knocking over Piggly Wigglys and transporting minors across state lines for...I've said too much.

Recruiting Powerhouses

Foxsports has posted the Scouts.com top-10 recruiting powerhouses. Florida sits at the top, among usual suspects like USC and Texas, as well as a handful of SEC programs. Georgia comes in at a VERY respectable #7. Here's the order:

1. Florida
2. USC
3. Texas
4. LSU
5. Ohio State
6. Oklahoma
7. Georgia
8. Alabama
9. Notre Dame
10. Miami

Here's the blurb on Georgia:

"Georgia finds itself in a similar situation as Ohio State and LSU, a flagship program in a state loaded with college prospects. With roughly 150 players who sign college scholarships every year, and only two Football Bowl Subdivision programs, the state of Georgia has the highest ratio of athlete to FBS school in the entire country at 75 to 1. Georgia and Georgia Tech rarely go head to head for players with 150 to choose from, and under Mark Richt, the Bulldogs have made a living keeping the top players within its borders. The success Georgia had early under Richt enabled the Bulldogs to expand their reach and get two of their most recognizable stars from out of the region, Matthew Stafford (Texas) and Knowshon Moreno (New Jersey)."

I never realized that 75:1 ratio existed here for the Dawgs. In my mind there's never been an excuse for LSU not competing for a title every year. They have no real recruiting competition in a talent rich state and pipelines across the deep south and into the heart of recruiting, Texas. I mean, I understand that Georgia Tech's the only other FBS school here, but they carry more weight than all the other FBS schools in Louisiana combined. You cannot tell me that UL-L, UL-M, Tulane and Louisiana Tech are really threatening LSU's stock. So, while their recruit to school ratio might be much lower, it doesn't mean much. They should do it by BCS schools.

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You see that? FOUR teams from the SEC in the top-10. Suck it, you talent poor hacks everywhere else.

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Soon, we might have our very own recruiting expert on staff here at FTS. Stealler1 has agreed to come on and enlighten us on the goings on that will take us up to signing day. Let's see if he lives up to his end of our ridiculously drunken agreement. Or, even remembers it...

Overlooked Combine "Skills"

Mr. Swindle at EDSBS posted this today. And, seeing as how it's hilarious and there's nothing else for me to talk about really, I'll direct your attention to it.

http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/

The "Slows." Brilliant.

Is it Worth It? (Joaj on the hotseat)

Since his return two weeks ago, Coach Joaj has lost twice and given up over 30 in each contest. Two road games back-to-back is rough, but getting blanked 38-0 by Rutgers and thumped 35-27 by USF has got the BearCat faithful wondering: Is it worth all the pain to keep joaj around? His record is less than impressive, recruiting is almost nil and his family drama seems almost non-stop. He assures us he's here to stay now, but what happens next time he needs some 'time off?' While his return against Louisville was emotional and impressive, fake college football is a 'what have you done for me lately' game and Joaj has done nothing for us lately. This Cincinnati program has potential that's being left untapped and deserves someone dedicated to improving what we have and striving for perfection. Am I saying fire Joaj? No...but I would turn the heat up under his seat a notch or five. This game against West Virginia is huge.

It's not surprising - but it is disappointing:

Well, it looks like In the Electric Mist (based on the James Lee Burke novel) will be a straight-to-DVD release. I love this series of books and it's main character, Dave Robicheaux. There has been one previous film adaptation of a DR novel, Heaven's Prisoners, with Alec Baldwin. It's borderline decent, mainly treading water in watchable. While I'm glad to finally know how close I am to actually seeing the new film, I'm worried it will be less than good and reminiscent of Prisoners as it couldn't even garner enough support for any release. I read it on the boards here:

http://jamesleeburke.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3064&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

and saw the imdb release date here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910905/releaseinfo

There will be a big screen premiere in New Iberia, LA - Burke's/Robicheaux's hometown. Why is it so hard to make a decent movie about the characters I love?

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I've watched some of the clips on Youtube. This straight-to-DVD thing gets much clearer when you see them. It may as well come packaged in a VHS case with an embossed silver title on it. But, I will watch it...and probably like it. Godammit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8k-XlX-yvk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUsVfq0QUz8&feature=related

This should be made into a great sports film

This article:

http://www.thefanatics.com/content.php?id=330

...is great - I think. There's a lot of cricket-gibberish that makes no sense (Oh, you less important Euro sports). Honestly, cricket achievements read like a Dr. Suess book. For the movie, just change it from cricket to baseball and cast a Mr. Baseball-era Tom Selleck. That'd be sweet. Or, maybe don't change it to baseball at all, but have Selleck as some fish-out-of-water who doesn't understand cricket, but endears himself to fans and colleagues with the strength of his liver.

I might not know what it means to average 71, knock 100, bag 5-66, or glove 17. But, I do know what it means to drink 52. I've had some marathon sessions in my time, but never pressurized at 30,000 feet. Cheers, mates - maybe I should follow this weird-ass sport, after-all...

Livin' The Dream (to the extreme)

There's a new blog up on the old interweb. It will now be home to most of the online dynasty news and the insights of a very wise man. Check it out.

Welcome to the world, LTD!

This picture has nothing to do with the blog. It's just awesome.

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By the way, after having to replace my copy of NCAA 2009 - AGAIN! - I returned to the the online dynasty and NLiley gave me a very rude welcome. He beat me mercilessly; his Rutgers squad thumping Cincinnati, 38-0. Very painful. Very painful, indeed.

Transition: Hoo-Ray!! Edition

This has nothing to do with football, but as the off-season wears on, you'll see a lot more of that. Remember how this blog started over the summer? Lots of books and TV, movies and personal insights; well, maybe not 'insights', but observations nonetheless. What better way to kick off the off-season ramblings, than with a quick celebratory shout-out for something we've waited for for over 20 years:

There has been an agreement made in The Watchmen deal. This very good news, and if you don't know why, maybe you should redecorate the fucking rock you live under, ar-tard.

Season Wrap-Up

There's a lot out there I've not commented on, so this will just be a general catch-all. Some random thoughts on what's going on as we wrap up the season.

- Sanchez is leaving. Pete Carrol's not thrilled with it, and questions the decision, but from the kid's POV, it makes sense. He'll probably never be a starter anyway, there's no Bradford or McCoy ahead of him in the draft, and who doesn't like literally millions of dollars?

Also, it must get boring not going to the BCS title game and just chewing up lame big-10 competition year in and year out.

- Brandon Spikes is coming back. Percy Harvin is not. Florida is still preseason #1. But, I think the loss of Harvin is bigger than we realize right now. Imagine that BCS Title game without him...Gators might still win, but it would have been tougher. On the bright side, at least we can finally stop hearing about his injuries and whether or not he feels 100%.

- Greg Hardy will be returning to Ole Miss. On a related note, Ole Miss WILL NOT be as good next year. I'm basing this on the fact that Houston Nutt is not some new coach to the league. We've all seen this dance before. His record will be a game or two worse and the Rebs will be mid-pack in the West. Anyone fooled into thinking that Ole Miss will be an actual contender next season must be new to SEC football. Or, have more faith in the Right Reverend than I do.

- In the same vein, Georgia will probably not fall off that much next season, even with losing Stafford and Moreno. Remember the rebuilding year? Consistency, thy name is Richt - for better or worse.

- I cannot wait until ESPN takes over the BCS broadcasts. I'm usually not one to bitch about commentators, but C'MON FOX - man, you guys are awful. Why do we ever need the screen split into 4 shots during a football game? Especially, while a play unfolds. During the Fiesta Bowl, we missed a trick-formation play by Ohio State as the booth was pitching their dumbass Pontiac competition. In the national title game, both guys got the down wrong deep in the redzone. Did I mention that it was the NATIONAL TITLE game?! Fuck. I'd rather have Jefferson Pilot/Raycom/Lincoln Financial call the damn game. The broadcast might be iffy, but at least the Daves know the basics of the game.

- Even as a Georgia fan, I like Tim Tebow, I really do. And, I believe I've made that obvious on here. But, even I balk at saying that the fact he's a Christian is relevant to the discussion of his talent or impact on the game. Now, does his faith have an impact on his character? Undoubtedly. But does which faith he ascribes to matter? And, does the faith itself matter to the greater good?
Read this article about it. I tend to agree with Doyel on this. If Tebow was not a Christian, would we be so high on his faith? If he drew inspiration from, like Doyel says, the Koran or B.O.M., would we pay it as much attention? What if he was an Atheist who drew inspiration on how to be a good person from Aesop's Fables? Would we ever mention it? No. Urban Meyer needs to scale down his statement a little. But wtf do I know? The man has two titles in 3 years...

Now, go here to have fun with it.

- I wonder if Chris brown can even talk about football with average fans. We all know what a crossing route is, but do we know this much? I bet he just smiles and nods, avoids anything that he might have to defend or explain, and generally tries to stay away from football discussions just to make his life more peaceful. It's like when Evolution or politics comes up with my family.

- Congratulations to the Atlanta Falcons for their successful season. It's hard to be disappointed with them, especially since I thought they had a realistic shot at pulling a Detroit style 0-16. All I want next season is 9 wins. Then we would have made franchise history by putting together back-to-back winning seasons. Baby steps.

- Signing Day is a few weeks away, so hang on tight as we run through the recruiting gauntlet. My favorite story so far? Burnette refusing to leave high school and enroll at UGA early because he's going to be there Valedictorian. Nice. I always prefer these stories to the ones about kids not qualifying, prep academies, police charges, and booster violations.

- And, one last time for the season:

Did you guys know that Texas beat Oklahoma in the RRR?

Go here for the rest of the motivationals.

Hardcore Heisman

Does anyone else get the feeling that next year's Heisman race is going to be a 4-way bukkake between Tebow, McCoy, Bradford, and an improved Mark Sanchez?*

-

* if you're not sure about bukkake, do a simple Google image search for it. Preferably at work. On your boss' computer.

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This is, of course, unless Sanchez opts to leave early now that all the space ahead of him has cleared out. Then it's just down to the same final 3 as this season. Has that ever happened before?

REMATCH

Remember playing Mike Tyson's Punch Out when you were a kid? Your fight with Mr. Sandman started out competitive enough, but then you slipped and he ended up putting you away late. And there you were; a dejected Little Mac alone on the stool, waiting to hear one word: 'rematch.' It's like that:





Oklahoma vs. Florida, Jan. 2010. This time, Sam Bradford will save his star punches...

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The last post, The Final FTS Power Poll, has been updated-

Final FTS Power Poll

Here goes, with first-place votes in parenthesis:

1. Florida (7)
2. Utah (1)
3. USC
4. Texas
5. Oklahoma
6. Alabama
7. TCU
8. Penn State
9. Oregon
10. Boise St.
11. Georgia
12. Ohio State
13. Ole Miss
14. Texas Tech
15. Virginia Tech
16. Cincinnati
17. Oklahoma St.
18. Iowa
19. Missouri
20. Florida State
21. Oregon State
22. West Virginia
23. Georgia Tech
24. Michigan State
25. BYU

Others receiving votes: LSU, Cal, Nebraska

We'll play around with it later - right now, I just want to get it up and out there for the world-

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Update: Funny things from the final poll-

1. Texas at 4. Not putting Ohio State away hurt the 'Horns.

2. Iowa at 18. I like it (I had them at 15 on my poll), but they were completely left off of some.

3. Could BYU beat Nebraska, LSU or Cal?

4. I left MIssouri off my poll, but they still came in at 19.

5. Aroo tried to be slick with a tie at first b/n FLa and Utah. The result? I forced his number one vote to the Utes.

6. VA Tech vs. Cincy: 13 point win = only one spot higher.

7. KTL called Oregon top-10 in the last poll here at FTS. Cheers.

8. Georgia - the best 3 loss team.

9. Should the MWC replace the Big East's auto bid? Yes.

10. Ole Miss - 4 losses, top 15 finish.

For all you Leach Fans out there...

This season Mike Leach gained a lot of notoriety (mainly due to the fact that Michael Crabtree is impossible to cover in man). I think most of the hype is unwarranted and that the whole "air raid" thing is overrated. I prefer a defense and a ground game that sets up the pass - because that's how you actually win games - so I never fell under the spell of Mike the Pirate. But, I know he built quite the fan base (especially among teams looking for coaches - Auburn, Tenn), so I thought I'd pass along Chris Brown's air raid breakdown. Enjoy, you impressionable young fans, you. Hey, watch Mike Leach jingle his keys in futility while Alabama goes 12-0 with solid D and running.

http://smartfootball.blogspot.com/

Buck Belue - Update

Thanks to LTDx for sending this out-

National Champion QB Buck Belue has been missing from his normal radio gig, Buck and Kinkade recently. Where has he been? He addressed the issue on his blog recently:

"There is some misinformation out there that I want to clear up. I have been out of work because of a case of Bell's Palsy. It is a nerve disorder that happens suddenly and without warning. The condition occurs when a nerve that controls facial movement is damaged. Probably caused by an upper respiratory I had prior to Christmas.

I've been unable to completely close my left eye. My left cheek has experienced some numbness. And the left side of my upper lip is droopy. I continue to talk with a little slurred speech. So, obviously doing a 4 hour talk radio show presents some problems right now. The specialist---Mark Harris--- tells me it will clean up---with the use of meds---in 2-3 weeks to several months. Just got back from the physical therapist---Julie Epstein at Emory Johns Creek Hospital---where I had some electronic stimulation and got some at-home facial exercises. And hoping for a quick recovery. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers."

Our thoughts are with you, Buck. Get well soon.

Just to get you through, here's one of the the greatest plays of all time, co-staring Buck himself.

Keep This In Your Notebooks...

...you'll need it for the test. We will be referencing the tireless efforts of Orson Swindle et al. over at EDSBS in the area of off-season drama as we move from Bowl season, into recruiting and then through the dry time of spring practice and summer workouts. Honestly, the higher teams finish, the better they do once toe meets leather. Go figure: the most criminally active are the most talented.

We will be seeing this a lot, so try to keep up! This post explains the rules/point system for the Fulmer Cup. Any other questions, see the link below:

http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/2009/01/12/fulmer-cup-2009-get-your-crime-on/

SNL takes on the BCS

Highlights: S my D; Anything about Bush; sick people's farts. I'm not a staunch playoff guy - but I'm not a clinger to sad old systems, either. I do, however, still appreciate the electoral college. Football and disenfranchisement are two very different things...

Tim Brando Don't Take No Shit

Especially not from some random Auburn fan.



Thanks to Senator Blutarsky for posting this gem up. And, no this caller is no relation to the Moviegoer. Not blood relation, anyway...

Knowshon Says Thank You

This is kinda cool. We wish you well, Knowshon...

http://onlineathens.net/ads/adbase/1000551162.pdf

He's Staying

Tim Tebow has decided to remain at Florida for his senior year. That's not really a shocker; he's not rated very high on the boards and, besides, his legend is not yet completely written in college.

I think this, Spikes and Harvin aside, makes the Gators the de facto pre-season #1

My best guess for #2? Notre Dame. Man, they were great this year, huh? I mean, did you see that Hawai'i Bowl? Clausen for Heisman!

Not really. But, many are suggesting now that next season might be the year that the Domers make their big push for UF head man, Urban Meyer. There is a draw for Meyer: it's close to home and the motherfucker's named after a pope for Christ's sake (literally, kinda). But, he also lives in the real world in 2009 and there's probably no better spot for him than where he is. 2 titles in 3 years? That ain't happening at ND, not even with the media suck-fest that seems to take place whenever the Irish get borderline talented.

My real guess for #2? Right now, it's probably USC. I just need to weigh that pick against the fact that they'll lose some shit game and end up stacked against a 1-loss team from a much tougher conference. Let's see what the draft party hangover is gonna look like in the Big-XII before we get to poll-happy...

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Lost in the buzz of Tebow's return and swept under the rug by their lackluster win over Ohio State is the return of Texas' Colt McCoy. He's a great QB, a leader with real character and a good head on his shoulders. He makes Texas successful similar to the way Tebow wills Florida to win. He was my Heisman fave until Tebow gave his post-loss speech and I think him being back under center affirms Texas as real, legitimate title contender. They could have been this year, since they did (say ti with me here) beat Oklahoma. Look out for McCoy and the Horns in '09.

Why must we debate the obvious?

Three BCS Titles in a row and the best bowl record across those seasons - the SEC is the best conference now, and quite possibly ever. But toss the laurels, boys - Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Texas A&M and Arizona State are all angry and early in the out-of-conference next year.

Oh, and in case you forgot:

Yep, it's true. You know what really sucks, though? As clear as it is to any sane person, the SEC still gets a bit disrespected across the country. Clay Travis (from whose blog I snagged that awesome pic) writes:

"Just because Florida was fortunate enough to get into the title game, don't let this make you think that college football has changed much in terms of respecting the SEC. If Penn State wins against Iowa, they play Oklahoma for the national championship. If USC wins against Oregon State, they play Oklahoma. I guess what I'm getting at is this, Florida just barely got a chance to play in this game. That should be sobering for everyone who is an SEC fan. "

Very true. He also asks if we could retroactively make Auburn 2004 national champions. I like the idea, but USC was pretty nasty that season. Of course, Oklahoma was equally as nasty this season and we see how that ended up. Plus, the SEC has Tebow and Tebow has Jesus - praise him.

Outside of the vacuum that is Starkville and the obvious academic exception of Vandy (who did win a bowl this season) any team in this conference could build into a contender. We're a league of sleeping giants who bludgeon each other, honing ourselves into warriors. Our regular season is like a Spartan childhood, or in the case of Tebow's Florida, Doomsday's origin in the Superman comics. If you survive it, you can feast on the champions of the world (unless they're Mormon apparently).

Final Poll

There will be a final poll compiled and put up here sometime soon, we're just waiting on the ballots to come in...

Also, keep on the look out for my way-too-early pre-2009 picks. No suspense here; if Tebow comes back (which I think he will), the Gators should be at the top - again. I think it will finally be the year we get the much-anticipated (and terrifying) SEC-USC match-up. The Big-XII South big boys will be competing for it again, as well.

Do you make him run laps?

http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/2009/01/09/smack-dat-azz/

So, that's how you build a dynasty...

The Most Prolific Offense in College Football History...

...scored just 14 points. At least they're not Ohio State.

Things that stood out:

1. Ahmad Black - Play of the Game and the fiercest INT all season. That goofy/dumbfounded look on Bradford's face afterwards was priceless.

2. Charlie Strong: Congrats on having what looks from afar an impressive game. But shame on not adjusting sooner to the no-huddle and your hesitance to mix-it-up a little more. You are a talented man with your cap set for an HC job soon, but I wanted to see Bradford CRUSHED.

3. Tim Tebow: How did you not see that DB creeping?

4. Porcelain Harvey: Well played, sir. There were many a quick yard to be had and you took them like a cat burglar: stealthy, speedy and while your target was asleep.

5. Chubby weeping Sooner band girl: HAHA, loser. Why do Oklahoma fans make the best weeping faces?

6. Tim Tebow might be the 4th best QB if he was in the Big XII, but he'd apparently be the best fullback.

7. When asked what the staff calls the play where Harvin gets the snap, hoping for a wild-gator, Urban Meyer replied: "We call it 'snap the ball to Percy.'" Awesome. That's how you win championships.

8. Bradford played a tough game (props) and the Sooners looked unstoppable offensively at times...until inside the 10. WTF?

9. Bob Stoops won a BCS Title in 2000. Since then, he is 0-5 in any BCS game.

10. Go Gators, enjoy your 2nd in 3 years, but tread lightly; your pan-SEC support may dry up in the when faced with a dynasty. Maybe you should let Georgia win in Jax next season, just to be on the safe side.*

*If UGA did win that game next year, it would continue the Dawgs' trend of defeating the previous year's national champion: 82 Clem, 91 GT, 97 Fla, 04 LSU, 07 Fla, 08 LSU, and one or two back in the day.

Goodbye, Gentlemen - God Bless

Thanks for the memories!

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While they certainly did razzle and/or dazzle us on the field, let's not forget this duo's entertainment factor off of it:

Thanks to EDSBS and Deepsouthsports for the pics.

Picking on the PAC

The Pac-1o was 1-6 against the Mountain West this season.

The Pac-10 is a perfect 5-0 in their bowl games, but had no SEC match-up.

The Mountain West Champion, though, did thump the SEC's second best team.

What does this all mean? I'm not sure, but maybe I better quit picking on the Pac-10, just to be safe. And, maybe the MWC needs an automatic tie-in. I mean, TCU (MWC #2) will finish as a top-10 team, too.

I'm just saying, there's better football beyond the Rockies than we'd like to think or acknowledge.

Does this make Tressell Mr. Spock?

http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/2009/01/06/the-wrath-of-quan/

"He's not really dead if we find a way to remember him...."

Title Talk

So we have three national champion contenders now: Texas, Utah, and USC. Throw in the winner of OU-Florida and it makes 4. Each has a legitimate claim to the top spot, perhaps Utah less, though I don't know why, really (outside of the idea that they don't play in a conference your granddad would recognize, so they can't be good). Utah beat Oregon State who beat USC who beat Penn State who beat Oregon State and Ohio State who hung in all the way with Texas who BEAT OKLAHOMA. Utah also beat Alabama, who hung in with Florida who lost to Ole miss who beat Texas Tech who beat Texas, who beat Okla...well, you get it.

Right now, I've got Florida number 1. If they win, it's easy for me: they retain the top spot and I'd give them the title. If Oklahoma wins, it gets murkier, but I'd probably at that point give the title to Texas. But, Texas' win was so close I could argue for the Utes or USC. Thank god we have this BCS to sort everything out for us.

Excuses, excuses

I moved, had a pretty hard-core two-day bender across the dawn of the new year, a 3-day hangover and a little cable flub, but all-in-all, I've have enjoyed Bowl Season so far and will be writing what I saw, watched in replays, vaguely remember, or will simply pretend to know about very soon, I promise. Stay close little baby birds, you will be fed - there's MUCH to discuss.