An Icon Heads:
The 2008 college football season will end mercifully Saturday as the Vols host Kentucky. The Vols are listed as a four-point favorite and the initial thought might be that Tennessee will be pumped up ready to send the coach they love out with a Gatorade shower. QB play will again likely be an issue. Can Tennessee get anything out of the position against the Cats? Even with a double digit win over Vanderbilt, it was the defense that led the Vols to victory.
Kentucky may present the Tennessee D with more problems than did Vanderbilt. Randall Cobb will be anxious to play in his hometown against his hometown team. Cobb will be tough to defend when he gets out on the edge. He has the ability to make people miss in the open field, but he also has the ability to throw strikes.
Emotion will also be a challenge for Tennessee to manage. The Coach they love has been shown the door. He will exit stage left Saturday. Can the Vols keep their emotion in check or can they actually use those feelings as a positive source of motivation? As seniors run through the “T” alone for the last time fans reflect on memories they have of those specific players and the games and plays that were influenced by them. This year we can add a coach to that procession.
Hopefully Coach Fulmer will run through the “T” one last time by himself. Hopefully he will get the reaction from a great fan base that he deserves. One thing is clear with regards to Phillip Fulmer, he is a special man who has given his life to the University of Tennessee. He brought a National Championship to the Hill and he won a lot of games. It is a shame that he will not be able to go out in a better fashion, but sometimes we don’t get to choose how we exit. Ultimately we are not in control. Here’s to you Coach Fulmer, and here’s to you finding your next great adventure!
The next man:
There have been reports flying that Lane Kiffin will be announced as the new Tennessee Coach Monday. I have not found that to be true as of yet. Though, I would not be surprised if that were the case. Could Tennessee have decided to go with the cleanest contract scenario and decided to hire Kiffin? Maybe. Could they elect to wait to talk with Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly? Maybe. It seems like the Vols will end up with one of those two guys. If I had to guess, I would go with Kiffin. We’ll see how it plays out.
Last Week:
Had Florida not given up a late meaningless touchdown, I would have stumbled into a perfect week against the spread. Mississippi St., Ole Miss and Tennessee were all spread winners for me, though I did pick Vandy to beat the Vols. So, 3-1 for the week overall and against the spread. For the season: 64-21 overall and 48-34 ATS.
This week offers many games as it is rivalry week for a number of teams.
Mississippi St. at Ole Miss: Rebs are favored by 13 1/2. The Egg Bowl has seen its share of dramatic finishes and that will again ring true again this year. Ole Miss is the surprise team many picked them to be. With a win the Rebs get to 8-4 and 5-3, and more importantly, get the second place finish in the West.
The Pick: Ole Miss 24
Mississippi St. 20
LSU at Arkansas: Geaux Tigers are favored by 4 1/2. This game usually has some juice but there are few storylines this year. After starting the season 4-0, LSU has split its games the rest of the way. Coming off a win, they lose. Coming off a loss, they win. They lost big to Ole Miss last week. So, they win this week.
The Pick: LSU 24
Arkansas 23
Florida at Florida St.: Gators by 15 1/2. Florida is 7-0 since the one-point home loss to Ole Miss. In those games, Florida is winning by an average score of 53-12. Amazing. Tim Tebow has put himself in the Heisman mix and Percy Harvin is getting there. Check this, Harvin has scored at least one touchdown in 13 straight games and 24 out of 26. Florida is the best team in America despite the fourth place BCS ranking. Who would be favored over the Gators on a neutral field? Nobody!
The Pick: Florida 38
Florida St. 20
Georgia Tech at Georgia: Dawgs by 8 1/2. Can Georgia stop Tech’s offense? They’ve had trouble stopping almost everyone so my guess is no. Therefore, 8 1/2 points are too many though Georgia should win.
The Pick: Georgia 30
Georgia Tech 27
South Carolina at Clemson: Tigers by 1 1/2. The party atmosphere during the Clemson/USC weekend is legendary. People I went to school with made the annual trek, without a dog in the hunt, just to experience this craziness. As for the game my gut tells me to go with the ole’ ball coach.
The Pick: South Carolina 17
Clemson 16
Vanderbilt at Wake Forest: Wake by 4. Can Vanderbilt get to win #7 in time for the first bowl game since ’82? Wake came in to the season as one of the potential candidates to win the ACC. That has obviously not worked out. The question going into this game is the same for Vanderbilt as it is every week; will they get solid play out of the quarterback position. If yes, they win. If no, they will not. Watch D.J. Moore’s role expand as well.
The Pick: Vanderbilt 27
Wake Forest 24
Kentucky at Tennessee: Vols by 4. It will be an emotional night on Rocky Top. It is senior night in Knoxville and Coach Fulmer will also run through the T for the last time as Tennessee coach. The current head Vol wants to go out on as good a note as possible, and losing to a team your school has beaten 23 straight times would not allow that to happen.
The Pick: Tennessee 13
Kentucky 0
Auburn at Alabama: Tide by 14. Auburn has won 6 in a row in the series. But, there is zero chance they make it seven. Bama has too much on the line with an upcoming opportunity to win the SEC and potentially go play for a National Title. Plus, Bama is the much better team. Auburn does not match-up well at all.
The Pick: Alabama 24
Auburn 3
My Heisman Standings:
Someone gave me a vote for some reason so I continue to rank my list each week:
1. Sam Bradford – was 14-19 for 304 yds and 4tds in the win over TX Tech. Bradford has 42 TD’s and just 6 INT’s on the year.
2. Tim Tebow – Has 33 total TD’s and just 2 INT’s while accounting for over 2,500 yards.
3. Colt McCoy – completing a mind boggling 77% of his passes. Has passed for over 3,100 yards, 30 TD’s and
just 7 INT’s. McCoy’s only blemish was due more to a dropped INT by his defense than by anything he did or did not do.
4. Graham Harrell – Even with the embarassing loss, his numbers are sick. Harrell is completing 70% of his passes while throwing for almost 4,500 yards, 39 TD’s and just 6 picks.
5. Percy Harvin – may be the best playmaker in America. Harvin has over 500 yards receiving as well as more than 500 yards rushing. He has 15 total touchdowns in 10 games. Again, Harvin has at least one touchdown in each of his last 13 games. He also has at least one touchdown in 24 out of his last 26 games. Phenominal.
– Thanks for reading. I’d love for you to check me out on the 104.5 The Zone in Nashville. We’re on nights! You can get it 1045thezone.com. Thanks again, Brent.