Dougherty's Diatribe

Long Season Gets Longer:

As Tennessee continues its search for its next head coach the team obviously, and unfortunately, appears to be playing out the string. If I were a player and heard talk like that or read those lines, I would be upset and I’m sure that they are. However, the proof walked out of Neyland Stadium with a loss to a team that was blown out 24-0 by New Mexico. Was it the most embarrassing loss in program history? Perhaps, but at least the loss didn’t come to a directional school. There is that.

Tennessee Coaching Vacancy:

Butch Davis turned down the Tennessee job; again. This time he did so in an emphatic manner. The quote, “I have absolutely no interest in the Tennessee job.” Does that sentence cross Davis off of the Vol list? Absolutely not! What else is he going to say at this point? Davis hasn’t been promised anything by anybody. What he does have is a 7-2 football team that finds itself in first place in the loss column of its division of its conference and is ranked 16th in the BCS with three regular season games remaining. A possible division and conference title is within reach as is a trip to a BCS Bowl Game. -For North Carolina! Each of us would do anything we could to keep the focus of the team on the task at hand. That is all they can control. However, it should be important to note that Davis did not say, “Following the season, I will have absolutely no interest whatsoever in the Tennessee job.” And he won’t say that because following the season, he might.

Other names to watch according to sources close to me: Mike Leach, Time Brewster, Brian Kelly, Lane Kiffin and Will Muschamp. No surprises on my list – sorry. It would be easy to come up with obscure names, but these are the names I have heard so they are the names I give to you at this point.

Current Heisman Run Down for this Voter:

5. Michael Crabtree WR  TX Tech

78 receptions; over 1,000 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns.

4. Colt McCoy QB  Texas

78% comp. Almost 3,000 yards passing; 28 TD’s and 7 INT’s

3. Sam Bradford QB  Oklahoma

Over 3,400 yards passing with 38 TD’s and just 6 INT’s

2. Tim Tebow QB Florida

Over 2,000 total yards; 27 total TD’s and just 2 INT’s

1. Graham Harrell QB TX Tech

72 % comp. over 4,000 yards passing; 36 TD’s and 5 INT’s.

SEC Picks:

A quick look back uncovers a 5-1 overall week, but just 2-3 against the spread. For the season, I am 57-19 overall and 41-32 ATS.

Troy at LSU: Geaux Tigers by 18 ½. Troy is a good team and a great program. But can the Trojans stay within 18 ½ of LSU? Yes.

The Pick:  LSU 31

Troy 13

ULM at Ole Miss: Rebs by 21. Ole Miss gets bowl eligible with this win. But, by three touchdowns? I don’t know. I’ll guess yes.

The Pick: Ole Miss 31

ULM  6

Mississippi St. at Alabama: Roll Tide by 20 ½. That’s a lot of points for this series, but the #1 team in America needs to beat State at home by at least three touchdowns.

The Pick: Bama  30

Miss St. 6

South Carolina at Florida: Gators by 21. Nationally, they’re making this game out to be a big test for Florida. You know better than that and I know better than that. The lock of the weekend is here. Since the loss to Ole Miss, Florida has outscored its opponent by a combined score of 243-57. Chomp! Chomp!

The Pick: Florida  49

South Carolina 11

Vanderbilt at Kentucky: Cats by 4. Randall “Don’t Call Me Tex” Cobb is a dynamic playmaker at QB for Kentucky. Can Vandy slow him down? Georgia couldn’t. If Vanderbilt fails to get bowl eligible this weekend, they will solidify things next weekend. It will happen next weekend.

The Pick: Kentucky 27

Vanderbilt 20

Thanks for reading. Check me out on 104.5 The Zone out of Nashville next Tuesday from 9p-12a cst and Wednesday evening from 7p-9p central. You can stream live at 1045thezone.com. Thanks, Brent.

Brent Dougherty

Host of Overtime on 104.5 The Zone

Ft. Campbell football play by play

-Fridays at 7pm cst at oldies1480.com

brent@1045thezone.com