Dougherty's Diatribe 10-4

Dougherty’s Diatribe 10/4/2007

College football has beauty that can be illustrated in many shades. You have the storied traditions of historic programs that carry presence with them when they charge on to the Fall Saturday fields of dreams. There are the players that show fans the unimaginable which propel those players’ names into larger than life entities. You have rivalries that date back to pad-less warriors who chose leather as protective headgear. And, there are weekends as the one just experienced where any team can rise up and realize success against bigger, stronger and more financially organized programs. Seven of the top thirteen ranked teams last weekend in the associated press poll fell. Anything is possible in college football.

There is one clear team to beat in the SEC West and this team’s name is no surprise to anyone reading this volnation.com column. LSU is not just winning games. They are destroying men from within. 40-6 is the average score.

Florida is up next for LSU, but the Gators do not match up well with the men from the bayou. For Tim Tebow to find yards for the Gators between the tackles Florida will have to move the best defensive interior lineman in college football. And Glenn Dorsey is immovable. LSU wins by two touchdowns; at least.

LSU 27

Florida 13

Speaking of Florida…With the Gators loss last weekend to Auburn, the SEC East is wide open. The Kentucky/South Carolina winner will vault themselves into “team to beat” position on the Eastern side. And, Tennessee will host Georgia with a trip to Atlanta still a possibility for the winner.

That leads us to the battle for Neyland Stadium. Mark Richt is almost unbeatable on the road and has never lost as a head coach in Knoxville. Georgia is ranked, Tennessee is favored. Go figure. This game has the potential of being a back and forth, high scoring tug of war with a score on the last possession possibly deciding things. Tennessee’s offensive line has had trouble opening up holes and running lanes. However, they are the best in the nation at protecting their quarterback. This group has given up a mere two sacks on the season. Give Erik Ainge time, and he will pick apart a sub-par Georgia secondary. Give LaMarcus Coker twenty to twenty-five offensive touches and you’re talking about an extremely dangerous attack.

Georgia will pound the rock giving running backs Knowshon Moreno and Thomas Brown the bulk of the offensive workload. Mark Richt told me on Wednesday that Kregg Lumpkin would also be available in this game. Tennessee will be challenged to line up defensively, play assignment football and tackle these three backs well. Georgia will find running lanes and will move the football on the ground likely opening up the Bulldog play action passing attack. Tennessee will score. Georgia will score. This game could come down to the wire with the team with the ball last in position to win.

In what has been called the most important game in Phillip Fulmer’s career since the Fiesta Bowl following the 1998 season, look for the Vols to man up in this one. Tennessee is primed for a peak performance, from the fans in the stands to the coaches on the field and in the booth and to the players on the field.

The pick: Tennessee wins a shootout 41-38.

This could be a defining game for this coaching staff and team. With the Auburn win over Florida and the tough trip for the Gators coming up this weekend to meet number one LSU in Baton Rouge, the SEC East is wide open. Can Tennessee fight its way out of the corner and turn one as a program? Or, will they fall to 2-3 staring another disappointing season squarely in the face. The battle for Neyland Stadium perhaps has never been so true.

Thanks for reading. I encourage you to listen to Prime Time Sports with Duncan Stewart and little ole me any or every weekday evening from 5p-8p central time. You can also check us out on the web at wlac.com keyword PTS. I also encourage and appreciate e-mailed comments to me directly at brentd@wlac.com.

Happy football watching to you and yours! –Brent.