Mark Richt hates Energy Vampires.

UPDATE: I didn't see this until I got home today, but EDSBS has already hit this one. Hilariously hard.
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They really are trying to change the energy in Athens, these days. We've got a new strength and conditioning program, the post-Liberty loss pact, and now this. The program is calling out guys who torpedo positivity; complainers, debbie downers, and negative nellies are all unwelcome in Mark Richt's locker room. Anyone caught offending will be labelled an "Energy Vampire." Seriously, energy vampire; like with a straight face and everything.

"It's a new distinction for anyone on the team who complains or doesn't meet certain standards. If a teammate is nominated by another player for the "energy vampire board" and coach Mark Richt approves, the offending player ends up with his photo plastered all over video boards in the weight room, usually photo-shopped to include fangs and other unflattering enhancements.

"If you say something negative, if you're not doing something positive when we're doing activities as a team, you can be called an ‘energy vampire,'" sophomore linebacker Chase Vasser said. "Anybody who hears you say something like, ‘I don't want to be here,' you can be turned into the coach and you'll get your face on the board. They'll take a picture of you and put a wig on you with some vampire teeth and crazy-looking eyes.""

I'd make more fun of it, but it comes from a place of success: Mike Smith and the Atlanta Falcons. Apparently, Smith read about the term and incorporated it into his program and brought it around to some clinics and workshops this spring. Also, a true homer would never poke fun at his alma mater and his pro team in one fell swoop. But it is kinda dumb. Let us win the SEC, though, and you'll be hard pressed to find a fuck for me to give, no matter how dumb I thought it was in August.

23 Days.

"Men with hearts, bodies and minds..."

In Fairness: Georgia Fan Picks Georgia.

In all fairness to the last post, I'll acknowledge my pick from earlier this summer. I guess I can't honestly rag on the Bronco-phile's post too much; I mean, I wondered how he could pick a 14-point win, especially with the low line, but I'm no better:

"3. Boise State-Georgia (Atlanta) - Same song, different verse: if Boise wins, blah, blah, blah, BCS title game. I'm not trying to take anything away from the individuals that make up the BSU program, but this has been their narrative for so long, they don't know anything else. Meanwhile, Georgia has NO expectations and Richt's seat is getting quite warm. If the Dawgs play with nothing to lose, and they should, there could be some re-writes on deck for the Broncos' storyline. Georgia 34, Boise State 24"

 Homerism, for the win! Honestly, there are a couple things that make me feel good about the match-up. One is this: Georgia's defensive line weighs-in at 309, 350, 306. There's NO ONE on Boise's starting O-line that big. When your D-line has that kind of size advantage, good things can happen. Of course, this all depends on everyone playing head-up ball in the right position...let's not go there. Also, Boise's 0-4 against the SEC:

•  2000 vs. Arkansas: L, 38-31
•  2001 vs. South Carolina: L, 32-13
•  2002 vs. Arkansas: L, 41-14
•  2005 vs. Georgia: L, 48-13

I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything now, as Boise's much improved in recruiting and development, but it's a nice number to have around. All jokes aside, this Boise squad is legit. Kellen Moore is a great QB with a talented offense around him. It will take a strong defensive performance to disrupt his rhythm and hopefully force the Broncos to change up their game plan. If Grantham and his charges can't get it together this summer, it could be a long night in the Dome. So, yeah, maybe my 10-point win was a high-hopes fantasy. But, to my credit, I was there live to see this:

Boise Fan Picks Boise.

If you can make it through the horrible grammar and spelling errors/typos in this OneBroncoNationUnderGod post, you'll find that they're of the mind that Boise State will win pretty easily in the Dome. (EDIT: On further review, you'll find this is a "fan post", not an official blog post.) They go through eahc possible match-up and the only one seen as a Georgia advantage is "Georgia Pass Offense." The overall opinion is very azure-tinted indeed:

"CONCLUSION AND GAME PREDICTION 

With the improved recruiting in the recent year for Boise State the size and speed issue normally facing a non BCS against an SEC opponent should be a non issue. With 7 returning starters, expect the Bronco offense to move the ball with relative ease against the Bulldog defense.  Georgia will have a difficult time establishing the run in this match up and will have to relay heavily on the passing game.  The Bronco defense should win this match up, also returning 7 starters on the opposite side.  If the Bulldogs offense has to become one dimensional, with the Broncos shutting down the young and inexperienced rush attack, they will have to relay heavily on the passing game, and should put Georgia at a huge disadvantage. This game should be a easy win for Boise State.

FINAL SCORE

BOISE STATE 34 GEORGIA 20"

I know I'm biased and I've already made a contrary pick, but this seems a pretty confident pick...especially when the line in Vegas is only 1'. Could this happen? ABSOLUTELY. Will it? I don't think so.

24 Days.

"Heroes have graced the field before you..."

Oh, Vontaze.

Vontaze Burfict is a beast, but even Nick Fairley thinks he has a "questionable" playing style. He seems like he's just roid raging 24/7 and he does not care who gets in his way. So, it really shouldn't be a surprise that he "allegedly" assaulted a teammate. Dennis Erickson played cover-up at media days, but the story's already out there; according the SportsbyBrooks:

"In the aftermath of a verbal confrontation between Burfict and Arizona State wide receiver Kevin Ozier during a Wednesday Sun Devil practice, the star ASU linebacker initiated a blindside attack on Ozier from inside the team’s locker room, sucker-punching the diminutive wide receiver in the face.

"The force of the blow knocked Ozier, who Burfict outweighs by 50 pounds, to the ground.

Ozier, who was initially unresponsive after Burfict delivered the brutal, blindside shot to his head, eventually recovered from the assault.

"Despite Erickson being fully aware of Burfict’s attack on Ozier, the Arizona State coach has not held Burfict out of any practices since last Wednesday’s incident nor mentioned Burfict’s locker room assault on Ozier to the public.

"In addition to his missing Saturday’s annual Arizona State football media day, a national magazine cover shoot involving Burfict was also recently scrapped."

Hey, man, Vontaze keeps it real (watch #7).

Orson's Optimism

Orson Charles has a lot to say about the upcoming season. The general sentiment surrounding the team right now is commitment. After the embarrassing loss last year's Liberty Bowl, the returning players made a commitment to each other, the team, and to giving full effort, something they were apparently lacking the last few years. “I don’t think everybody was on the same page; everybody had their own goals and was focusing on their own thing. But going into the spring, we all started buying in and listening to the coaches. That’s why I’m excited to kick this thing off and see what we can do.”

On Georgia's new strength program, run by Joe Tereshinski, Charles said:

"Coach T’s workout is no joke, and it’s not easy. You have to be a man to go through what we went through, and we all gained something going through that program … the ones that survived. Yes, at first it was hard. Yes, a couple of days, we were in terrible pain. And, yes, there were a couple of days where we thought this man was crazy. But in the long run, it’s going to help us. We’re going to be much meaner and play much faster and go out there and win games. That's the main thing we had to focus back on, and that’s playing Georgia football.”

That's all well and good to say, but will it truly translate onto the field? Will any of this make the defense less likely to play out of position, miss tackles, or just in general mediocre it up out there? Will it light a fire in the bellies of the coaches so we don't get weak-ass play calls like the 4th & inches in the Liberty Bowl? Will it improve the run blocking and add depth to a thin O-line? Will it add more options at running back? I doubt it.


But, Charles says even the new guys, the so-called "Dream Team", have bought in.

“The freshmen have come in here and worked hard and not been big-headed, because there was a lot of talk about how they were supposed to be that class that saved us. They don’t think that. They just want to come in here and win like we all want to do. I’m excited to see what this Dream Team’s got.” 

Maybe there's some hope here after all. Either way, we'll know for sure pretty quickly after kickoff on September 3rd.

Operation: Iron Snare

Step 1: Tell a deadbeat, no-account parent they've won Iron Bowl tix.
Step 2: Celebrate with them when they show up.
Step 3: Pull a Chris Hansen and then Arrest them.
Step 4: LOL



It's actually not ALL fun and games; part of it's a little sad. A very small part.

/"Do I still get my tickets?"

Rumor Mill: Another Possible Pic of UGA's Pro Combat Uni

Here's another possible photo of the custom unis Nike's Pro Combat line created for the UGA-Boise State game. If this is the one, I'm definately cool with it; it's slightly updated, a little customized, but still traditional.

FTS Preseason Poll

UPDATE: This was written before I knew about Steve Kragthorpe. I don't know if it would change my assessment of LSU, but I wanted that disclaimer out there. Oh, and obviously, this was before the coaches' poll; I obviously feel very different about OK ST than they do.
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Here it is, the FTS Preseason Poll. It took longer to get finalized and posted than I  though it would (real life will do that to you), but it's up now in all its glory.  It's another exercise in pessimism and inaccurate, useless fun, but it's mine.

1. Alabama
This defense is going to be nasty; it will be the number one unit in the nation and lead the Tide to the BCS Title game. 'Bama will have a VERY rough road-to-hoe through the SEC West, but I think they'll make it. I see them getting matched up with an undefeated Oregon squad and winning a close one to bring home the trophy.

2. Oregon
Remember: this team was only 3-points short in last year's title game. In that game, their high flying offense did get stuffed and their O-line got dominated in the trenches, but the Duck-D (11th in the nation, we forget) did get their gameplan to go almost perfectly. Kelly relied on massive substitutions and speed all season to nullify opponents and it worked on what had been Malzahn's flying circus starring Cam Newton.That's why I'm still high on this team: systems. Only 5 defensive starters back? Cool. There's 20 that have serious game experience. Only 6 offensive starters back? Cool. One's the QB, one's the Heisman finalist RB, and the schemes are still tough to stop. I might be taking a risk on the O-line, but we'll have all the answers about that in week one.

3. Wisconsin
What got Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl last year? The offensive line, two thousand-yard rushers, and a responsible QB. It wasn't flashy, but it worked...but it also might never get you to a national title. Enter Russel Wilson. The NC State transfer might just be the spark Bielema and the Badgers need to finally make the jump. He upholds the Wisky tradition of ball protection - he owns all-time NCAA record of consecutive pass attempts without an interception - and adds a true dual threat athleticism that defenses will have to account for. They'll most likely play Nebraska twice, but I feel good picking the Badgers in both games.

4. Virginia Tech
Look, the Hokies are a FG away from 12-0 last year. Follow me on this: No 3-point loss to Boise, no funk-induced loss to James Madison and the typical run through the ACC. Now, they did lose Tyrod Taylor, but I've read a lot of people who are high on Logan Thomas (6'5'', 245 lbs - sound familiar?). I'll trust him to lead Tech through a very easy OOC slate and the Coastal Division. Florida State will not be a pushover in the ACC championship game, but if I have to make the call right now, I'll take this team over the 'Noles.

5. LSU
This will be the best two loss team in the country...and those two losses will be close. I feel like the Tiger defense could be disruptive to Oregon in week one, a la Auburn's in the BCS title game last year, but not enough to control the game; they're missing that Fairley-level player. In the end, the Ducks will squeak by. LSU will rebound with a run through the SEC. Unfortunately, that streak will end in November in T-town. While there's athleticism in heaps in Baton Rouge, I don't know if I trust Kid History and the Grass-Eater to lead it to a BCS Title.

6. Florida State
FSU might end up being a 3-loss team once the ACC's settled, but I'll keep them this high right now because I'm still predicting them to win head-to-head with one of the next teams on my list, Oklahoma. Jimbo and the 'Noles will be on top of the world after that win, but they'll come crashing down in a road game somewhere down the line; I don't trust EJ Manuel as a lock in the big game...yet. Look for a sloppy drop at Clemson or BC and a loss to VA Tech in the ACC CG. Despite how high I feel on them right now, I'm not fully confident they won't still screw the pooch somewhere else. That said, I'm holding them here right now on faith they'll be 11-2 headed into their bowl.

7. Nebraska
Good news: The Huskers have a great team and play in a division they should easily win. Bad News: They'll play Wisconsin twice and their offense will let them down in some key games. Defensively, the Blackshirts will dominate and finish in the top-3 of unit rankings. But it won't be enough; Martinez and co. will fail to top 14-points in at least two games: the two match-ups with Wisconsin. There might be another flub in there somewhere, but I can't see it right now. A 10-win Nebraska that's B1G runner-up would probably earn a BCS at-large bid from the Fiesta Bowl where they'd play the Big-12 champ; I'm taking NU over Oklahoma in this way-too-distant, way-too-specific decision.

8. Oklahoma
The Sooners are my reluctantly chosen team to win the Big-12, but I don't have the faith to invest too much more into them right now. They'll be a lot of folks' pick for the BCS title, but I'm not seeing it. I think they'll drop the game against FSU in Tallahassee and stub their toe in a conference game somewhere, maybe the RRR or Bedlam. They'll be no conference championship game for a BCS bump, either, so the Sooners will need to be perfect for a return to the national title match-up - and that's just not gonna happen. They will, however, play host to the Fiesta Bowl as Big-12 champs where I have them welcoming an old friend, Nebraska. It'll be close, but call it the Sooners' third loss.


9. Texas A&M
I honestly came pretty close to picking the Aggies as surprise Big-12 champs, but just couldn't do it in the end. I think they'll get edged out by a feisty Arkansas squad in the Jerry Dome and get dropped by OU in Norman. Beyond that, though, Sherman's charges should be favored until, maybe, the finale with Texas. I honestly like A&M to roll at Kyle Field to finish up 10-2. They won't make a BCS bowl and could get a shot at revenge against Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl, which I'd see them getting for an 11th win.
 
10. Notre Dame
I don't like the bump the Irish get any more than you do, but I feel like Brian Kelly can actually get this team over the hump. I guess it's a matter of choosing his overachieving over the programs last two decades of underachieving. They finished last season strong and while the schedule's stronger, it's still not a true murderers' row. Look for ND to make it back to double digit wins. But, they need to be careful; if they make it to a BCS bowl, they likely be matched up against someone who blows the doors off of them. Still, as long as they don't drop the ball Davie-Willingham-Weis style, they'll hover around the voters' minds and the top-10.


11. Stanford
I like Andrew Luck, but without Jim Harbaugh's sideline grittiness, the Cardinal will lose a step. They get Oregon at home, but will let the Ducks slip away late. I also don't like back-to-back road trips to USC and overlooked Oregon State late in the season or the finale with Notre Dame. I think a 3-loss regular season is very realistic and Stanford will need a bowl victory - likely over a team from Texas - to get back to double digit wins.

12. South Carolina
I think the Gamecocks have the potential to reach 10 wins...but it won't matter. Whether they have 9- or 10-victories under their belt heading into the SEC championship game in ATL, they'll still get beat - solidly - by Alabama. I don't see Stephen Garcia letting his team down in his last bowl game, so the season should end on a high enough note to keep SoCar in the top-15.

13. Boise State
I think Boise loses a game this year: the season opener against Georgia in ATL. After that, they'll cruise through their new conference schedule with the only real test coming at the hands of visiting TCU. The Broncos will pull out a close one on the blue turf and finish with 11-wins, but it won't be enough to keep them from a crappy bowl, as I think Houston will finish the regular season higher-ranked. Once Boise knocks off a mid-tier Pac-12 team in Las Vegas, they'll pass Houston in the final rankings.

14. Houston
Right now, I feel Case and the Cougs will run the table. If they do, they'll likely automatically qualify for a BCS bowl bid since they'll be a top-16 team and ranked higher than the Big East champ. The place it looks like they'd end up is the sugar bowl against the at-large bowl host, LSU. It'd be a great bayou battle in theory, but the Tigers would win this cat fight and send Houston home with their first blemish.


15. Texas
Here are the re-bounding Longhorns. I've got them finishing third in the Big-12 behind Oklahoma and Texas A&M and dropping a third game somewhere else along the way. A 9-3 Texas team is nothing to scoff at, but the Horns could easily be sitting at 9-4 after a bowl loss. To me, no. 15's a nice, safe place to pick this team.

16. TCU
Um, 11-1, MWC runner-ups, a little lost luster, and who knows what in the bowl. The loss to Boise State, who will already have a loss, will drag the Frogs out of the top-15. It might not be a fair placement based on their talent, coaching, and program stability, but that's just how it is.

17. USC
Being banned from the Pac-12 title game and the post-season will have a decent Trojan team left at the back of most voters' minds. They'll have the best record in their division and a head-to-head win over Arizona State, but they'll be relegated to the doldrums of the rankings with 3- or 4-losses and no national presence after Thanksgiving. 

18./19. Arkansas/Mississippi State
A little cheating here, I know. But, the SEC West is going to be brutal and these two teams will be part of the reason why. Right now, I'll call for both teams to wrap-up 8-4 with the head-to-head game between them way too close to call in August. In reality, both of these teams are better than a few of the higher-ranked squads, but that's just not how the poll works. Did I mention how strong this division's going to be?

20. Ohio State
A coach and a QB gone forever and five more starters out the first five games equals a big time slip in Columbus. However, this team does not need to be forgotten about and should be clicking by season's end, if it's under Fickell and Bauserman instead of Tressel and Pryor.

21. Oklahoma State
Dez Bryant thinks this team could win a national title, I don't. The AP and coaches will have the Pokes in their top-10, I won't. I can realistically see five losses, but will give a little benefit of the doubt until that Thursday night game against Arizona.

22./23. Michigan State/Penn State
Another lump. I think Dantonio's a good coach - the little giants play against Notre Dame, anyone? -  and these last two seasons have seen his best teams. Penn State will have some QB issues early, but could have everything figured out by mid-season. A couple lucky breaks and either of these teams could sneak their way into the B1G title game.

24. Clemson
Sure, why not.

25. West Virginia
I like Holgo to be clicking by season's end in Morgantown.The Mountaineers will start slow, losing to LSU, but they're more athletic than most of their league. I see them losing the Backyard Brawl and the season finale to South Florida, which will cost them the Big East title. They will however be higher ranked than the Bulls, even though the Bulls will get a BCS bowl...and an ass-reaming.

Who else?
Arizona State
Florida
South Florida
Tulsa
Southern Miss

I Wanted a Closeup of Brennan's Tears.

I found this video today and it's pretty awesome. It's stills from the Georgia-Hawaii Sugar Bowl set to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck." They did a good job synching up the action shots to the right moments in the song, Varsity Blues-style. Check it out:

Reconsidering the Big-12

OK, I've been slogging through my predictions for the upcoming season the past month or so, and now that we're closing in on kickoff, I've got a reconsideration to make.

The Big 12 - I am not standing by my conference blast. Most of it centered around how disappointing I feel Oklahoma will be and how improved I thought Texas will be. I mean, Stoops did earn the sarcastic "Big Game" Bob monicker somehow, right? And, I got burned by picking them to make it to the BCS Title game last year. And then there's Texas. They dominate recruiting in the most talent-rich state and Mack Brown's no slouch. How can we possibly expect them to be that bad two seasons in a row? So, I picked the 'Horns over the Sooners in the RRR, which led me to picking them as league champs.

In retrospect, I might have been wrong here. Now, I'm not gonna jump on the Boomer Sooner Wagon and pick OU for the BCS Title game...but I will pick them to knock off Texas and win the Big 12. I see the Sooners dropping their game at FSU and a conference game somewhere on the road; that 8-1 league mark will still be enough to take the crown outright. Meanwhile, the Longhorn Kool-Aid I apparently pounded last month has worn off. Texas has lost a D-lineman and a speedy wideout for the year and were already facing breaking in two new coordinators. I see three losses, at least two of those in the Big-12. So, even a RRR win might not be enough to win the conference. Lost in my shuffle here was Texas A&M. The Aggies actually have everything lined up to win the conference outright..except for two big things: 1. They play what will probably be a very pumped up Sooner team in Norman, and 2. While they seem to be returning a billion starters, they're still from the A&M talent pool, which has been pretty shallow compared to the big boys the last decade or so. Call it two losses - one OOC to Arkansas and one at Oklahoma.

So, my new top-3 in the predicted Big-12 pecking order looks like:

1. Oklahoma 10-2 (8-1)
2. Texas A&M 10-2 (8-1)
3. Texas 9-3 (7-2)

Sometimes we go too far.

Look, I've been known to get rowdy and argue about college football; Hell, ask the old Sidelines pub in Marietta ("It's my time to shine!"). But, sometimes, our fanhoods get the better of us and it brings out the dark side of our passion. The video below is a shinning example of that. I think we all need to remember that the sport itself is violent enough; we don't need to add to it.



h/t: docsat

My Brother-in-Law's New Job

My bro-in-law, Jean Francois Houle, landed a new gig as head coach of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (L'Armada de Blainville-Boisbriand).

Dynasty Update: Welcome to the B1G (3-5)

EDIT: I think I should take a sec here to clear something up: This team is bad. I imported Eastern Michigan's roster to make this the rebuilding job it truly needed to be to be loyal to the show, which leaves the Eagles as a D overall with D's in both defense and offense. So, you know, bad. I'm playing an online dynasty on All-American difficulty - yes, I'm scared of Heisman - and the gap in talent is starting to show.
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After a nice tune-up game against Akron, Minnesota State kicked off conference play with four straight losses. The Eagles led Penn State 13-3 at halftime, but couldn't keep up, eventually falling 16-13. The competitiveness of that game excited many in the Screaming Eagle fan base, but any positivity was washed away by two back-to-back home ten point losses against #3 Ohio State (27-17) and #4 Nebraska (31-21). Spirits were low the next week as State went on the road to #12 Wisconsin and it showed. The Badgers pounded the Eagles, grinding out over 300 rushing yards and holding the MSU to under 200 yards of total offense in a 31-13 shellacking. The Eagles now sit at 3-5 (0-4) and Hayden Fox is two losses away from having a losing season. While it's understandable he would struggle, finishing in the cellar of the conference will certainly count against his job security. On the upside, the hardest part of the schedule is over and State gets Purdue, Illinois, and Northwestern up next; the three teams have a combined 5 wins so far in 2011.

High-caliber programs like Nebraska and Wisconsin have proven a bit much for lowly Minnesota State.

2011 Schedule (3-5, 0-4)

Baylor W 24-20
at Missouri L 14-17
Ball State W 31-21
at Akron W 42-0
Penn State L 13-16
Ohio State L 17-27
Nebraska L 21-31
at Wisconsin L 13-31

Remaining Games:

at Purdue
Illinois
at Northwestern
at Michigan State

Revisiting 2010's Preseason Poll

Man, oh man, was I way off on some things in last year's poll. I had Ohio State and Oklahoma pegged for the BCS Title game, Auburn way down at no. 17, and Georgia (6-7) in the top ten. I did have Oregon at four and predicted undefeated TCU in the Rose Bowl - but, in the end, it was an embarrassment. But, it was equally as embarrassing as what the "experts" thought. Here's my 2010 preseason poll compared to the AP preseason poll along with the final rankings from January.

More Expansion Rumors.

This is up over TeamSpeedKills: Apparently, ESPN doesn't respect Dan Beebe's authority. Despite the conference's stance that the Longhorn Network airing high school football is a no-no, the worldwide leader had signed a contract for two high schools to play a televised game. What all this means is that now the expansion rumors are swirling again, but this time the dance partners may have changed a bit.

"A&M comes to the SEC obviously, though this time Missouri would be its partner. The SEC still wants Oklahoma, but it supposedly doesn't want Oklahoma State. So, the two Oklahoma schools plus Texas Tech (and potentially Baylor) are looking to the Pac-12, while the two Kansas schools are making eyes at the Big East. Iowa State, which goes unmentioned, is presumably SOL."

So now the SEC adds Missouri and A&M and either sits at 14, or looks east for two more new friends to make 16. OU, OKST, and TXTech head west - and if the Pac-12 was smart they'd leave Baylor the hell alone - and could still have a potential spot open for a 16th team. The Big East becomes even more of a powerful Bball behemoth and Iowa St. looks for WAC or MWC invite. Not mentioned here is the B1G. Where do they expand? Who do they want? I see them hitting the Big East and the ACC (Syracuse, Rutgers, Maryland) and making one last run at Notre Dame that will fail, especially with Texas lending credibility to the idea of independence.

Blast fom the Past.

Glory, glory.

Getting to know the Coaches

ESPN's Page 2 collected responses to a survey of questions from every SEC coach this week. The big chiefs were in Bristol post-media days for ESPN's SEC days on Monday and Tuesday. The questions are as predictable/lame as you can imagine, as are a lot of the answers, but there's some fun to be had in there. Here's a list of the questions and some key highlights from the coaches' answers.

Which SEC stadium has the most hostile environment? Most coaches either picked their own stadium or gave a blanket "well, it is the SEC" response. Lame. The only two credible guys who picked their own are Miles and Muschamp - those are tough places to play.

What's your biggest superstition? Most of the guys claim they're not superstitous and the few who say they are mention pretty basic stuff: dressing the same every game, sticking to routine, or eating the same meal. One that stood out was Nick Saban's because it makes him seem kinda human:

"I am superstitious. The year we won the national championship, my daughter used to give me a penny before every game. There were a couple of times where she'd gone out the night before and I didn't see her, and I'd leave before she got up. And we'd have to meet in the tunnel before the game so I could get my penny. And it worked 14 times in a row. That was a superstition that I kind of enjoyed and she felt like she was making a great contribution to what went on. I always wear a straw hat to practice. I have one hanging in my office that looks like it wouldn't be fit for a scarecrow to wear. Because when we were winning, I wouldn't change hats. Every now and then, I throw them on the ground, so they take a beating."

Another one that stood out was Mark Richt's: " I can't think of a thing really that I do that would be considered superstitious." Come on, Mark. It's 2011 and you still ask an imaginary man in the sky to look over you - that's pretty old school superstitious.

Do you have a must stop restaurant that you have to hit if you're nearby? This one was actually pretty interesting; you get to see some of the variety in backgrounds in some of the guys: Mullen (New England), Phillips (San Fran), Richt (Miami), and Franklin (Philly).The lamest? Gene Chizik, hands down. His one must have, go to place is...Papadeaux. He talks about the cajun/creole dishes he likes there, and then when asked by the surveyors if he would still prefer it even if he was actually in Louisiana, Chizik said, "Probably." COme on, guys.

What cliche is most overused by coaches? The answers here are as cliched as the cliched questions about cliches. But, Spurrier's was kinda interesting; he said, "The two words that I try not to use are "great" and "football."" How do you possibly get by not using the latter? Walk it off, there's no crying in our sport of prolate spheroid moving.

Who's the best dressed coach in the conference? This was better than I though it'd be. We learn that Dooley has Barbara-sized closet full of shoes and Muschamp calls Saban out for his 2003-era Cosby Sweaters. The new guy, Franklin, got a lot of votes, too. I think my favorite line, though, was when Page 2 told Saban about Dooley's and Muschap's cracks about his wardrobe: "That's my boys. That's what I've got to live with. Those guys." Sometimes we forget how close some of these guys are and the connections they've had in the past.

What's one of your favorite songs, or name your favorite musician. These guys' musical tastes SUCK. There's a lot of Kenny Chesney and Chizik apparently loves Neil Diamond. Saban's the biggest offender with his undying dedication to the Eagles. The most interesting is Joker Phillips: "I used to listen to a song when I played from Morris Day and the Time called "777-9311." I don't know why. Just because I liked the sound and the beat of it. I listened to that one before I played." He is the ONLY person who got pumped up for a contact sport with Morris Day and the Time. I prefer Tupac's sample of that song, by the way.

What was your first coaching job and how much did it pay? It's all pretty typical.

Who was your favorite athlete growing up? A lot of STaubach's and Namath's. Richt was particulalrly obsessed with Broadway Joe: "Joe Namath, without question, was my hero. I had a picture of him in my wallet. As I laid my head on my pillow, there was a little desk drawer next to me, and it had Broadway Joe's picture there.: Easy, kid. Chizik and Phillips go off-sport and both pick Dr. J. Saban (Roberto Clemente) and Miles (Mantle) went baseball.

What's the strangest thing anyone ever said to you in a post-game handshake? Derek Dooley wins this one hands-down: "Well, I had 15 postgame handshakes, and I don't know if you know that. We only played 13 games. I was 8-7 in them." Ouch.

Annual FTS Preseason Poll Disclaimer

I've been doing personal top-25 preseason polls for years now, ever since I discovered the world of preseason mags way back in middle school (thanks Athlon and Lindy's). Every time I did it, I caught myself placing teams by where I thought they'd finish, not what I thought of their talent/coaching/etc. in comparison to other teams. So, I'd scrap it and start over...then I'd think about schedule and fatigue and bye-weeks and realize that in the end, I was going to end up with teams sorted by where I thought they'd end up anyway. Then I'd fish the crumpled up original draft out of the trashcan and finish it. Then I'd stick it in the inside cover of one of the magazines and there it'd sit all season long. God they were terrible.

Why am I telling you this? Because I still pretty much do the same thing. Only now it's electronic and left up online for the world to see all season long; to make folks laugh with picks like '09's Rutgers or '08's Auburn. Even now, in 2010, almost 20 years later, I start out confident, slip-up, re-do and re-re-do, scrap it all and start over, then end up with something close to the first draft. And when it's all said and done, it still ends up based on where I think a team will finish in the final polls. So, it's not an indicator of how I'd actually vote or even what the FTS poll will look like through the season. Is Boise State truly more talented than the teams ranked behind them in other polls? I personally don't think so, but I'll have the Broncos high in my rankings too, their predicted 11-1 a much better accomplishment than LSU's probable 8-4...though I'd take the Tigers head to head...maybe. Maybe not. Maybe it's better too not think too much about it, or else risk admitting how pointless this whole preseason poll thing is.