Happy Thanksgiving from FTS

The love and thankfulness I feel today has no chance of overcoming the Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate I've carried in my heart all week. Happy Thanksgiving and WRECK TECH!

Weekly Picks

Ohio 30, Miami (OH) 17 - I think we've all forgotten how good of a coach Frank Solich can be.

Texas A&M 27, Texas 26 - I like A&M here in a close one. They're playing for a strong close to the season, while the 'Horns still have a showdown with Baylor left next weekend. Call the Aggies more focused on Turkey Day.

Tulsa 36, Houston 35 - UPSET ALERT Tulsa has three losses, but they're all to top-10 teams (Boise, OU, OK St.). I think they have the firepower to score with Houston and I wouldn't be surprised if they catch the Cougs day-dreaming about a BCS bid.

Nebraska 29, Iowa 17 - Picking Iowa games is like picking the Big East.

LSU 24, Arkansas 21 - UPSET ALERT (kind of) I think it will be close, but the Tigers will pull it out. Arkansas has certainly chosen the best time to start streaking, but I don't see them being able to do enough against the Tigers. There will be a late score that will stir things up a bit, but Les' boys survive to roll into ATL the next weekend unscathed.

Oklahoma 41, Iowa State 27 - Don't look for another upset from the Cyclones. I'll take a pissed off Oklahoma team in Norman all day long.

Georgia 28, Georgia Tech 27 - UPSET ALERT - The Bulldogs are excited about their SECCG bid, probably a little too excited. I've heard more about the showdown in the Dome in two weeks than I have about the Tech game this weekend. If our players and coaches are taking the same approach, look for the Bees and their triple option to blast the unfocused Dawgs. I'll take the better athletes on Georgia's sideline, but it'll be close.

Michigan 31, Ohio State 24 - The streak-breaker. The Wolverines can end eight years of Buckeye dominance and, in doing so, build a lot of support for the Hoke regime.

Alabama 27, Auburn 20 - Closer than the experts think, but I've still got 'Bama.

Virginia Tech 27, Virginia 24 - UPSET ALERT The Hokies had better be very careful.Mike London has done a great job in C'ville and the Cavs have one point left to prove: Beat the Hokies.

Wisconsin 30, Penn State 17 - Why is Penn State winning this game such a foregone conclusion? I know they're tough, solid on D, and riding a wave of emotion, but that doesn't automatically equal being able to stop Montee Ball and Russel Wilson. The Badges are still hurting from two hail mary losses and I don't see them giving up another in Camp-Randall.

South Carolina 21, Clemson 16 - Because it would just make sense now.

Florida State 27, Florida 15 - That loss to Virginia stung the 'Noles a lot more than we realize and there's no better place to exercise demons than in an in-state rivalry game. State realeased a lot of pent up frustration with last year's big win and could be overlooking the Gators, but I won't call the upset.

Stanford 29, Notre Dame 19 - Notre Dame would have been a great upset pick if the Cardinal were rolling in 11-0, but Luck and Co. are 10-1 and carrying a bit of a chip on their shoulder.

Top-25

Well, this one was certainly tough to compile. After the carnage of last weekend, the whole poll feels like a train wreck and no one really looks like they deserve their ranking except the top-3 teams...and maybe only the top-two. How high do rank the upsetters? How far do we drop the upsetees? Were some of those losses truly upsets? I'll give you Iowa State over Okie State, but Baylor just out-deuled Oklahoma and USC took it to the Ducks right away. It was certainly a lot to contemplate in compiling these rankings, and, in the end, I'm not sure if the extra thought produced a better product than just throwing all the names in a hat. Let the dumpster fire commence:

I did go with the SEC West at 1-2-3. I've got Virginia Tech at four, but I don't feel too good about that. I kept Oklahoma State in the top-5, but that probably won't last very long, either, with Bedlam coming up soon. I have Houston over Boise State by way of the loss column.

I have Stanford much lower than the other polls; that win over Cal was ugly and because of that, I've got them at the end of the three-way Pac-12 knot to close out the top-10. USC leap-frogged a ton of teams in front of them to crack the top-10, and with their win I gave them the nod for the top of that west coast jumble.

Oklahoma dropped to twelve, behind the highest-ranked B1G team on the ballot, Sparty. South Carolina and Georgia are neck-and-neck inside the top-15 with Wisconsin and Michigan hot on their heels. Clemson dropped the furthest of any of this weekend's losers, ending up behind the sliding doors at no. 17.

Baylor re-emerges in my poll at no. 19, but I will acknowledge that they could be much higher. I have TCU right behind them based on h-2-h. A reeling Nebraska falls to 21, a spot higher than the Penn State squad they squeaked by two weeks ago. Georgia Tech hangs solidly in the bottom-5, with two newcomers appearing to close things out, Virginia and Tulsa. Both the Cavs and the Golden Hurricane could make some serious noise with their games next week against VA Tech and Houston, respectively.

RIP To A Damn Good Dawg

He's calling games from the press box in the clouds, now.

Early Leans

Here we go, the early leans for Thanksgiving Week. I've got some teams on upset alert who will need to bring their A-game and make sure they're not overlooking their opponents. I've been pretty spot on calling for the close ones, but not always accurate with who I picked puling it out.The final picks will be up Wednesday, so call that first MAC pick locked-in.

Ohio 30, Miami (OH) 17
Texas A&M 27, Texas 26
Tulsa 36, Houston 35 - UPSET ALERT
Nebraska 29, Iowa 17
LSU 24, Arkansas 21 - UPSET ALERT (kind of)
Oklahoma 41, Iowa State 27
Georgia 28, Georgia Tech 27 - UPSET ALERT
Michigan 31, Ohio State 24
Alabama 27, Auburn 20
Virginia Tech 27, Virginia 24 - UPSET ALERT
Wisconsin 30, Penn State 17
South Carolina 21, Clemson 16
Florida State 27, Florida 15
Stanford 29, Notre Dame 19

Sunday Morning QB

I wish I had been watching this live:



It was just that kind of weekend, I guess.

Oklahoma State lost at Iowa State Friday night, the first step in making a LSU-Alabama rematch even more likely. With only one undefeated team left, the computers will become even more important in deciding who will get the top-2 BCS spots. The microchips love the Big 12, but Baylor did everyone that's not a Sooner fan a favor by knocking off Oklahoma in a shootout. Southern Cal pushed Oregon out of contention, surviving the Ducks furious 4th quarter comeback. And Clemson showed themselves the door by overlooking NC State, then paying dearly for that mistake in a blowout loss. What we're left with is a good chance that the top-3 spots in the BCS standings will be owned by SEC West teams, LSU, 'Bama, and Arkansas. The Sooners could further the chances of an SEC rematch by giving Oklahoma State a second loss in Bedlam next week, an outcome that would likely keep a Big 12 team out of the top-2 spots. Christ, the SEC West is dominant.

Conversely, the SEC East looked pathetic yesterday. Tennessee and Vanderbilt bitch-slapped each other all the way to overtime while Georgia and Kentucky put on a clinic of ineptitude. Meanwhile, Florida and South Carolina struggled to dispatch their respective FCS foes. I guess it's fitting that a team that played as bad as Georgia did yesterday would emerge as the winner of this division.

In the Big Ten, Michigan State clinched their spot in the B1GCG by crushing the life out of hapless Indiana. Michigan cruised against an straight-up outplayed Nebraska team, but it wasn't enough for the Wolverines to overcome the head-to-head loss they suffered to the Spartans earlier this season. Sparty will play the winner of next week's Penn State-Wisconsin game.

Remember when I almost picked Texas to win the Big 12? lolz

That Oregon-USC game was a good one. We've talked about LaMichael James and his Heisman chances, but where's the love for Matt Barkley? He went for 323 and 4TDs in the upset win, starting out an insane 12/13 for 2 scores in the first quarter. His ratio for the season now stands at 29/6. For comparison, Andrew Luck's ratio heading into the Cal game was 29/7.

6-5 Louisville leads the Big East. Also, the Big East makes no sense.

In the ACC, Clemson still has the Atlantic locked-down, despite that turd they laid in Raleigh. The Coastal, though, will come down to next week's Virginia Tech-Virginia in Charlottesville. And nobody saw that shit coming back in August. London's done a great job with the Cavs, but I doubt it'll be enough to knock-off the surging Hokies who really want another shot at the Tigers. 

There were some ridiculous stats in that Oklahoma-Baylor game. RGIII passed for 480 yards and 4 scores, adding 70 more on the ground. Landry Jones threw for 450 and Blake Bell, the Sooners' goal line QB, rushed for 4 TDs. Throw in the drama of that last minute and it made for a hell of a game.

Ticket Punched.

Well, despite the big question marks and a ton of sloppy play, Georgia finally earned an SEC championship berth with Saturday's win over Kentucky. But our execution was so bad, the team so unfocused looking, that I wonder how good of news that actually is. If this team that played today - and I use the word 'played' loosely here - shows up next week against Tech or the next weekend in the Dome, things could get ugly, fast. First, we need to address our run game concerns. Crowell went out after his second carry and we didn't see him again all day. His sturdiness is now just as questionable as his character, and I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't go next week at Tech. Carlton Thomas didn't play today for "personal reasons", and while that could mean any number of things, I get the sneaking suspicion he's fucked up again and had to sit out. This could have been his game, instead we had to rely on Brandon Harton and Ken Malcome, neither of whom is premier enough of a back to handle the workload effectively. With Samuel still recovering from an ankle injury, there's more questions than answers in the backfield.

Because of the lacking run game, we weren't able to get a whole lot of offense going today. Murray, who had finally started living up to his potential, failed to find a rhythm and we resorted to settling field goals throughout the first half. I HATE settling for field goals. It's become symptomatic of an overall failure of the offense to perform effectively and with the struggles we've had in the kick game this season, I cringe every time the field goal team trots out on the field. But, much to my pleasant surprise, Blair Walsh was perfect on the day (Georgia's lone missed FG was on Bogotay). Hopefully, he can build off of it, restore his confidence, and return our kicking game to it's place as a reliable team strength and not the crap-shoot it's become in 2011.

We finally scored a touchdown in the third quarter and it looked like the game was going to turn big time in favor of us, but we just couldn't stay on the gas pedal. Even with great field position after key turnovers, we saw Murray and the boys coming off the field after third down time and time again. This has got to be cleaned up before we go on the road to Bobby Dodd next Saturday.

Defensively, today was a continuation of the impressive resurgence the Dawgs have had this season. His personality faults aside, Grantham has done a fine job implementing his scheme and the addition of some key personnel has the defense playing as a top-5 unit. Jarvis Jones has emerged as the star of the unit and led the way against the Wildcats, racking 2.5 sacks and forcing a key fumble. He even made an impact after the game, when after he was asked about leaving for the NFL, he answered, “I am definitely coming back. Like I’ve said before, I’ve got a great coach and our whole defense is coming back next year." While it's great he'll be around in 2012, I just want to make sure he and the rest of the D bring the intensity they've been packing the last few games to Atlanta the next two weekends.

Kentucky did rack up 65 yards on a good looking first drive, but that was pretty much it for the Wildcats. They settled for a FG then and scored a TD on a short field after a turnover, but they were smothered the rest of the game, earning only one first down in the second half. The Kentucky defense was a little better, as Georgia only put up a little over 300 yards, but most of that was due more to the Dawgs ineptitude than the 'Cats' dominance.

But, a win's a win and it put us into the SECCG. Also, Coach Richt making out with his wife made ESPN.

Get some.

Heading into next week, the season finale at Tech, Georgia needs to be on guard for several things. They need to make sure Crowell gets healthy. They need to make sure Thomas gets his shit straightened out. They need to make sure the offensive game plan is conducive to helping Murray find a rhythm. They need to make sure the D brings their fire and intensity. And, perhaps most importantly, they need to make sure that all this SEC Championship hoopla doesn't have the guys overlooking their in-state rivals. /WreckTech!

Back to Work

I know it's been pretty barren here this week - no top-25, Sunday QB, early leans, news, picks, or commentary - but I just couldn't bring myself to get into the world of cfb the past few days. I think it's mainly the Penn State scandal that has been watering down my interest; every time I sat down to write-up anything, it was all I could think about and it just turned me off. That a thing like this ever happens is sickening, that it occurred in the arena of college football is depressing, and that there are still victims out there dealing with the pain is just unfair. So unfair, depressing, and tragic that it was all I could think of when my fingers hit the keys, and I simply didn't want to deal with it anymore. Now, though, with the week behind me and a football Saturday under my belt, the last tailgate done and packed away, my Bulldogs on their way to the Dome, and the conference races wrapping-up, I feel ready to be a part of this world again. So, it's back to work tomorrow with commentary on today's ugly win over Kentucky and the Sunday morning QB. See you then -

Building Confidence

Well, that was quite the big win between the hedges yesterday and it feels like it's a continuation of a general trend that's been building since the bye week. The defense suffocated Florida in the second half and we did enough to win, that win gave us a little pep in our step, a little extra confidence in ourselves and our game plans. We have since then dispatched New Mexico State and Auburn with extreme prejudice, both games already being decided by the half. I think the well placed bye gave us a rest at the perfect time and the win over Florida gave us the mental push we needed to actually benefit from everything we've invested in the program this season. If play like this carries into next week against Kentucky, we should have no trouble locking-up the SEC East and cruising into Atlanta on a nine-game streak the next weekend. As for yesterday's game itself, there's not much to say, so I'll just leave you with this screen-grab of the box score from ESPN:

It Took A While,

but Penn State's beginning to do the right thing. I do not think Joe Paterno is a bad person, I think he made a huge error in judgement. And now, it's cost him his job as head coach - something that needed to be done in light of the grand jury testimony. I think heads need to continue to roll today, too, though; that school needs to clean house and remake their leadership from scratch. I'm sure there will be more news coming out of State College throughout the day.

Weekly Picks

Thursday

Georgia Tech 24, Virginia Tech 21 - I think would just make sense with these teams in this conference. I do think the Hokies are a better team, but you just know Tech's gonna make a little more noise headed into Clean, Old Fashioned Hate and the ACCCG.

Houston 44, Tulane 17 - Cougs roll, Keenum keeps the record books open.

Friday

South Florida 22, Syracuse 21 - BIG EAST FOOTBAW.

Saturday

Oklahoma State 39, Texas Tech 21 - Man, have the Raiders fallen off after their big OU-upset, or what? I think they can make it a game early, but this won't be Okie State's slip-up...but mark my words, they will lose.

Nebraska 27, Penn State 21 - I want the Huskers to STEAMROLL the Nits in Happy Valley, but there's going to be some serious energy bouncing around that place. It'll be confusing and emotionally conflicting and create an atmosphere that JoePa's team might feed off of, but I'm taking truth and justice in the end, even if that comes in the form of Bo Pelini. Question: If you're Pelini, do you give Paterno the basic coach-respect of pregame chats and post-game handshakes? I don't know if I would.

Florida 21, South Carolina 19 - C'mon, Gators. Honestly, I was leaning towards South Carolina, but with Shaw being so questionable health-wise, I'm gonna take Muschamp and Co. to get it done in an ugly way.

Texas 31, Missouri 21 - The Longhorns are a quietly rising two-loss team. Missouri will give them all they can handle - much like they've done all season - but it won't be enough to stop a UT team that's good and getting better.

Michigan State 23, Iowa 20 - It will be close. It will be weird. It will be B1G time football...take that for what it's worth.

Auburn 27, Georgia 24 - The Moviegoer described this one perfectly (paraphrasing): "If it's close, Auburn wins because Georgia can't trust its kicking game. If it's a blowout, it'll be all Georgia, judging by the way Auburn's played on the road." I agree. I also don't see Georgia bringing a blowout into this one. I hate to say it, but the Tigers steal one in Sanford.

Alabama 24, Mississippi State 13 - I think the Tide have a little let-down after last week's OT loss; god knows the players are still feeling that game int heir bones. It'll be slow going for 'Bama to build up a head of steam offensively, but even sleep walking, this D will smother Miss. State.

Oregon 34, Stanford 31 - Shoot-out, classic Pac-12 style. I love Andrew Luck and I know the Cardinal will score points, but I'm wondering if Stanford can stop the Oregon offense at full speed. James and Thomas will not only be fully healthy, but I think they'll be focused, pumped, and primed for this match-up. I know it's on the road, but I'm taking the Ducks.

Not Enough.

So JoePa has made the decision to retire at the end of the season. This is how we reward what happened under his watch at Penn State? Allowing him to set his own terms on leaving, letting him set his own timeline for adulation-filled farewells, keeping him in-place to coach this Saturday against Nebraska in a setting that's likely to become a pro-Joe pep-rally, televising a man living his life unchanged under a program reeling from scandal while the victims get to sit at home and watch? Pathetic. I rarely say this, but in this situation, I don't care about the legal system. Sometimes just the legal responsibility is not enough; sometimes you have to do what's right. With something as bad as child molestation, there is no middle ground, no c-y-a and move on, and to me, anyway, no second chances. Reading the grand jury testimony, following the timeline of events, hearing from the victims, it's all too much to take-in today and be satisfied that Joe got to pick his time to go. Paterno, Mr. "Success with Honor" himself, is now a figurehead for a program that allowed one of the worst things that can happen to go on; as such, he - and everything remotely connected to his administration - should be let go. Immediately. Letting him go out on his own terms, allowing him to stick it out to season's end, giving him his last month on the sideline (or, in the press box, actually)is simply not enough. 'Not enough' - a phrase that, in the end, sums up the cowardly effort these individuals put into one of our most basic responsibilities as human beings, protecting children.

Tuesday Top-25

All the news coming out of State College this week has been outright sad. It's really killing any interest I have to explore, discuss, or debate anything college football related. This makes improper benefits, illegal agent contact, pay for play, free tattoos, rental cars, sold jerseys, and smack talk look like upstanding behavior and more and more I'm worried some folks who acted in a very disgusting, immoral, and cowardly manner might walk. So, tonight, you get my top-25, but I've got no commentary to add right now. I'm just kinda depressed about the whole sport right now. Ugh.
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EDIT: From the Harrisburg Patriot-News. The more I think about it, I'm not sure they truly nailed it - I'm starting to lean towards cleaning house immediately.
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Where Will He Pop-Up Next?

Houston Nutt will be done at Ole Miss at the end of the season...and no one's surprised. My question: where will he end up? This will not be a Nutt-less landscape for long. Kentucky could be looking for a new coach soon; would they give the Right Reverend a third SEC shot? Or, could he find a new home at an Arizona or even a higher tier C-USA team? We can't say for sure. All we know is, he will be missed.

Monday Afternoon QB - BCS Title Game Speculation Edition

I'm a little late getting this out, but there was a lot to process this weekend and I was distracted all day yesterday with the Falcons and then monitoring my fantasy teams. And also napping. Lots of napping.

First, let's go ahead and address the big one, LSU-Bama. I really enjoyed watching this game. Suffocating defense and an entire contest turning on special teams. It was truly old school-style football out there, but with a modern twist: those are by far the fastest and hardest hitting players in the nation. To me, even considering the kicking mishaps, Saban lost the game when he called the wildcat pass downfield. I'm not saying it wasn't a good call, I'm just saying that it's the play the conclusion of the game turned on. At that point, LSU looked tired up front and Richardson was beginning to loosen them up for more ypc. If Saban keeps plugging away, the Tide most likely wear down the D further, let there's rest more, and even if they only get a field goal, it's unlikely LSU drives for the tie that late. Instead, with the INT , LSU gains a little momentum, puts together a drive against a less-rested Bama D and send us to OT where they trump Bama's questionable special teams. This game truly was a chess match and Miles came out ahead by playing it safe - and no one thought that would be the case.

Now there's a lot of talk about a rematch. I really wouldn't want to see one. To me, it's not fair to LSU. They've already beaten 'Bama -  on the road, mind you - and to make them do it again seems like the wrong call. Besides, what do we really prove if Bama pulls out a win on a neutral field in January? Nothing. You'd then need a third game somehow to truly decide the series and you're not getting it. Just treat it like a play-in game: Bama lost, they lose out on a shot. Of course, all of this is obviously predicated on both teams winning out.

Who would LSU's opponent in the SECCG be if it were today? Georgia. That's a really weak East division. The Dawgs still likely have to beat Auburn to go - unless SoCar loses at Florida - and even then, I doubt they'll pose much threat to the Bayou Bengals. LSU is almost a lock for ATL, because even if they lost to Arkansas, the SEC tie-breaking procedure allows for them to win the division based on the fact they beat 'Bama. Unless Arkansas is within 5 BCS spots when it happens...

Of the other two unbeatens, I like Stanford right now. Okie State still looks like they've got a loss coming their way Sooner or later (get it?). If Stanford falls to Oregon and OU wins Bedlam, you'll most likely get the Sooners in the BCSCG against LSU. That seems like one of the more boring potential NC match-ups, honestly. Of course, there's always Boise State. If Georgia made it to the SECCG and won, the Broncos would have a VERY solid argument for the title game; likely playing Oklahoma. Who they beat in the Fiesta Bowl a few years ago. Ooh, the drama.

Obviously, if Stanford wins out, they'd trump a one-loss Oklahoma team. But, if the Cardinal win out and Okie State takes care of business in Bedlam, the Cowboys would get the nod over Luck and Co. to play LSU. If LSU drops the ball somewhere, you get Stanford - OKSU. If they all lose one, you could still get Alabama back in the title game, maybe against a then one-loss OU or even undefeated Boise State. Then Michael Wilbon could put his money where his mouth is.

Welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!

As official as it gets, the official SEC announcement.

Everybody Scores!

KAREMPELIS!

Smith, Harton, Bennett, Boykin, Conley, Charles, White, Karempelis, and McGowan. All nine of these guys scored a TD yesterday against New Mexico State. There's really not much more to say about Georgia's win. Overall, I'm pleased with the way we dispatched an outmatched foe in a money game, even with a completely depleted running back corps. We were able to establish our backups' backups in the running game and had two quarterbacks find rhythms against the Aggie D (Murray tossed five TD's, Mason one). Defensively, we did give up almost 100 yards to Kenny Turner, but most of those came in the second half. Sure, there were some sloppy moments, but not enough to draw any honest complaints.

More importantly, South Carolina came up short on the road against Arkansas, putting us alone on top of the SEC East. I'm realistic to know that this is like winning a competition to get kicked in the balls - especially after watching the LSU-Bama game last night - but true competitors want a chance at the best and we might get it. We just have to take care of Auburn and Kentucky first. The Wildcats seem manageable, but I have no clue about this Auburn match-up.

The Heart of the Matter

There's been a lot of speculation that Georgia's running backs were actually given the drug test they failed before the Florida game, and that the results were in before Saturday. That would mean the coaching staff decided to wait until after the annual showdown in Jacksonville to release the results and carry-out the suspensions. That would make sense, with this week's opponent being New Mexico State, a game that's much more survivable without a full roster than a conference tilt. Now, there's no proof this is the case, it's just been speculation and rumor, but if it is true, could anyone blame the staff? I'd imagine every D-1 coach would do it the same way. I think it would be more egregious if there was a uniform drug violation policy, but there's not. At least UGA administers there own tests at multiple times a season - many programs wait for pressure from the NCAA - and UGA's in a small group of schools who actually punish first time offenders. There are many schools who do not punish first time offenders at all - ten of them are in the SEC. As a matter of fact, only Georgia and Kentucky hand out first-time offense suspensions.* So, if they did wait, it doesn't seem that important since nobody truly seems to care about the issue anyway. It takes a special kind of homer to blindly defend players at every turn, but it's also a pretty rare breed who criticizes the way one team doles out punishments when their school doesn't even consider the offense a problem.

Me? I couldn't care less about minor drug/alcohol stuff. I don't have much patience with big stuff like sexual assault, domestic abuse, blatant improper benefits, felonies, etc. - but college kids are college kids. I hope they learn from this, keep their heads on straight and reserve the weed for winter and spring. I mean, c'mon, guys, it's a college town; just abuse alcohol like everyone else. And, if rival fans are going to continue to go after Richt's handling of the situation, we should just change our drug test/penalty policy to one more like their school has - none.
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* Along with Georgia and Kentucky, Miami, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, and Baylor are the only BCS schools who have any punishment for a first-time drug offender.

Running Backs Suspended

UPDATE: From Team Speed Kills: "ESPN is reporting that the actual cause of the suspension was the three of them failing a drug test last week. It doesn't say what kind of drug they tested positive for, not that it really matters, but a one-game suspension for a first failed test is the standard policy for UGA."

If it was a drug test, then maybe I was a little too harsh earlier; especially if it's an LSU-style synth-marijuana bust. I mean, I know rules are rules and these kids are dumbasses for breaking very clear-cut guidelines, but I find it hard to judge college aged kids for doing college-aged - and beyond - things. They should definitely sit out a game as per S.O.P, but I'll tone down my earlier judgement a bit...for now.

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Three running backs - Isaiah Crowell, Carlton Thomas, and Ken Malcome - have all been suspended for this week's game against New Mexico State. When asked what the suspensions are being served for, Richt would only reply, "They didn't do things the Georgia way." I'm guessing they haven't been doing things the proper way for a while now, if that one quarter suspension Crowell served against Vandy is any indicator. But, you know what, though? If they fuck up, sit 'em, and if they keep fucking up, cut 'em. I can't stand to have shit heads on my team, period. Other teams can sign these guys and play out dream seasons admist the controversy, but I don't want any part of it. Would it hurt to lose these guys, Crowell, especially? Yes. Does that mean it's OK to do things in a shady way? Absolutely not. Of course, I'm definitely in the minority here, and I know it.

Specifically, I'm very concerned about Crowell, now. I've heard he's quite the prima donna; spending the summer showing up late for or missing whole practices, focusing on himself more than the team around him, and just generally being a douchebag. If one suspension didn't snap him out of it, chances are this one won't either. We might need to think of life without the talented freshman as a real possibility. But, for this week, with Thomas and Malcome out and Richard Samuels hurt, who's going to run the ball? My guess is we'll see a lot of Smith and Boykin on offense come Saturday, because I'm assuming we're not confident turning the entire workload to Brandon Harton. What I hope is that this little suspension is what these kids need to straighten up and fly right; what I know is, these kids better wake up, and soon, or they'll be gone.

Of course, I'm sure they can always find a home out in the SEC West.

Tuesday Top-25

A firm grasp on the number one ranking is at stake in Tuscaloosa this Saturday when LSU and Alabama finally face-off. Beyond that, everything else is still a bit of a mess, though it's a contained clutter through the top-7 or so. Right now, Oklahoma State gets the nod over Stanford for the three spot, but it's a razor thin margin. Next, it my be sacrilege to some, but I do have a handful of one-lossers ahead of undefeated Boise State. Those one-lossers are ranked by this logic: I think Oregon could beat Oklahoma and Oklahoma could beat Clemson. I'm sorry, Broncos, but you get less and less impressive with your late season cavalcade of cheese-dick opponents. Two SEC teams with a big date of their own this weekend round out the top-10. Note: I am NOT comfortable with having either of these teams this high.

After that, it's just a Jackson Pollack-esque splattering of chaos. Yes, that is Nebraska ranked so high. Yes, I do remember them getting blasted by Wisky, but that was before the Badgers got double Hail Mary'd. Michigan State retains an inflated spot, mainly by necessity. Arizona State refuses to go away and Penn State is slowly creeping up the poll, one 3-point win at a time. Kansas State plummets after finally being exposed, but with their resume, they're still a top-20 team. Texas Tech is gone, baby, gone after that shit show at Iowa State, though - big win over OU or not. Undefeated Houston and Case Kennum's magic touchdown laser round out the top-20.

21-25 is just a holding ground. I'm still not ranking Cincy or So.Miss. I'm not that impressed with Georgia, even with the Cocktail Party win, though Auburn is slowly coming back around to my football consciousness. Like the Tigers, West Virginia re-emerges with a conference win. Georgia Tech gets back in it by knocking off a cocky Clemson team and Washington hangs around by virtue of their only two losses being to top-15 teams. Texas A&M has been knocked out for now, but remains on the cusp should any of these hangers-on topple off anytime soon.