SEC: What 2 Watch 4: Week 6

12:00, Legion Field

Birmingham, AL

ESPN2

Record [point spread]:

Mississippi State (2-3, 0-3 SEC)  [-19]
UAB (0-4, 0-2 CUSA)

W2W4: Mississippi State gets a scrimmage before hosting South Carolina next week.  I fully expect State to cover against UAB, as UAB is bad.  Really bad.  However, it is Mississippi State, and Louisiana Tech gave MSU all it could handle.  Can MSU get caught looking ahead?  Nope.

Prediction: 55-13, Mississippi State

12:21, Williams-Brice Stadium

Columbia, SC

ESPN3

Record [point spread]:

Kentucky (2-3, 0-2 SEC)
South Carolina (4-1, 2-1 SEC) [-21]

W2W4: Well, at the start of the week, I would've predicted South Carolina by 24.  I think Marcus Lattimore would've rushed for nearly 200 yards in a complete blowout.  All in spite of Stephen Garcia.  Now Connor Shaw has been named the starter, and South Carolina's offense is in such disarray, Kentucky might actually be able to keep it close.  Lattimore will still get his yards, but Kentucky should stack the box and attempt to make Shaw throw the ball.  He won't be able to, and Lattimore is good enough to still get his yards against all 11 Kentucky defenders in the box.  Plus SC's defense is going to kill Kentucky.  I would, however, take Kentucky and the points.

Prediction: 24-13, South Carolina

3:30, Tiger Stadium

Baton Rouge, LA

CBS

Record [point spread]:

#17 Florida (4-1, 2-1 SEC)
#1 LSU (5-0, 2-0 SEC) [-14]

W2W4: LSU had a scrimmage last week to prepare for Florida.  Florida got decimated by Alabama.  LSU is prepared, Florida is limping.  Florida may be able to keep it close for a while, but ultimately LSU and their defense will overtake the gaytors.  A wildcard in this game will be Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee.  Will Jefferson cause a rift, and some discontinuity in LSU's offense, or will Jarrett Lee secure his starting role?

Prediction: 34-17, LSU

7:00, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium

Fayetteville, AR

ESPN

Record [point spread]:

#15 Auburn (4-1, 2-0 SEC)
#10 Arkansas (4-1, 0-1 SEC) [-10]

W2W4: Auburn just keeps finding ways to win.  I can't explain it.  Arkansas has shown some fight, especially in the 2nd half of the Texas A&M game.  But how much of that was Texas A&M's inability to adjust?  I think Michael Dyer could be huge in this game for Auburn, and Arkansas' defensive line has been getting shredded, first by Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy, and then by Christine Michael.  Arkansas gets Chizzed on, and some how Auburn pulls another game out of their ass.

Prediction: 20-17, Auburn

7:00, Bryant-Denny Stadium

Tuscaloosa, AL

ESPNU

Record [point spread]:

Vanderbilt (3-1, 1-1 SEC)
#2 Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC) [-29]

W2W4: Vanderbilt magical mystery tour is about to end.  Even with as a 29-point favorite, my money is on Alabama.  I mean, if Vanderbilt can only score 3 on South Carolina, good night.  Vanderbilt will be lucky to score against Alabama.  Will Alabama just tee off on Vanderbilt?  This should be a warm-up for the scrimmage next week (against Ole Miss).

Prediction: 35-0, Alabama

7:00, Neyland Stadium

Knoxville, TN

ESPN2

Record [point spread]:

Georgia (3-2, 2-1 SEC) [-2]
Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC)

W2W4: Here we go.  Derek Dooley puts his mushroom stamp on Mark Richt's forehead this weekend for the "signature win" everyone claims he's been hunting.  This game is winnable for Tennessee.  It's also very losable.  But Tennessee has had 3 weeks of practice to get ready for this since the Florida game.  I think Tennessee realized how poorly it reacted to losing Justin Hunter in the Florida game, and I believe Tennessee is ready to take the next step.  Aaron Murray lit up Tennessee last season, and Georgia has some weapons on offense.  Orson Charles, Malcolm Mitchell, and Isaiah Crowell are all guys Tennessee will have to know, at all times, where they are on the field.  I also fully expect Da'Rick Rogers to be shaded by two guys: some rotation of Bacarri Rambo, Brandon Boykin, and Sanders Commings.  Special teams could be a real key Saturday night for both teams.  On the kick return front, Boykin is always a threat.  Can Devrin Young be a threat for Tennessee?  Blair Walsh, a notorious 'money' kicker, has developed Chuck Knoblauch syndrome, and Mike Palardy is a coin toss.  I think Neyland Stadium will be rocking, and Tennessee will be amped up.  If Tennessee can come out hot, the rout could be on.  And Barbara Dooley will approve.

Prediction: 31-17, Tennessee

It’s Friday!!!!! Don’t Speak Save your Voice for Neyland!!!!!!

Neyland Stadium needs to be rocking Saturday night.  This is what college football in the SEC is all about!  It is going to be a cool October night and a packed house at the greatest stadium to exist.  It is crucial for the fans there Saturday night to be as rowdy as possibly.  I won’t break down how to be rowdy like UGA coach Mark Richt did because we are Tennessee Volunteer fans therefore we have a higher intellect, but nonetheless if you leave Neyland stadium Saturday night and you ear drums are 1. Not bleeding or 2. Suffered significant hearing loss we have failed as a fan base.  There is no excuse not to be rowdy as I will demonstrate below.

Tailgating

 It is a 7:00 game meaning there is plenty of time for tailgating!   Tailgating is crucial for a rowdy crowd in fact it is a necessity!  Just a suggestion I recommend alternating beer and NOS energy drinks for peak rowdiness.  If you do not like alcohol just go with the NOS (get nos-ty) energy drinks because they will get you pumped.  Thing to do while tailgating:

    

Cornhole – lovely game that takes your mind off how many NOS energy drinks or “other” beverages you have consumed!

·    Ladder golf – Another game that occupies the mind!

·    

      Eating – A grill is a must at a tailgating party and you do not want to be rowdy on an empty stomach!

·     

      Smack talk – any UGA fan that comes anywhere close to your area needs to hear your mouth.  See next paragraph!

Smack Talk

If you have not noticed we here at RockyTopics are 100% supporters of smack talk.  We begin smack talk on Mondays and we suggest you do the same because it is a stress reliever and just plain fun! Smack talk is a must for Saturday, as stated in an earlier post on RockyTopics, there is a reason the state of Georgia is below Tennessee, plus we have bigger vols than them!  Through our smack talk we must communicate to the UGA fans and make them realize just how beneath us they are!  Make them feel the wrath of our big VOLS!  Also via your smack talk please continue to remind UGA fans that their program is at the starting phases of being a dumpster fire.  Yes the match has been lit and the dumpster is loaded with highly volatile UGA trash and the loss to the Vols will bring the 2 together and UGA will be a hot burning dumpster fire! 

During the game tomorrow night we here at RockyTopics would like you to tweet @ us, @RockyTopics, your best trash talking lines that you used or heard used during tailgating or during the game.  The best ones will be published in a post next week.  Our twitter account better be blowing up! #smacktalk

10 Reasons Tennessee Will Beat Georgia

10 Smokey vs Uga

photo courtesy of dawgdayafternoon.blogspot.com

By no fault of his own, Uga's Russ can't compare to Smokey IX. Sure, Russ has overcome adversity in his 6-year lifetime (the loss of his half-brother, Uga VII, and the untimely passing of "Big Bad Bruce" Uga VIII), but there has to be a reason Georgia officials refuse to annoint Russ as Uga IX. Perhaps they have a pup-in-waiting, but until Uga IX is proclaimed and brought forth, Smokey IX is the clear winner here. Also, Smokey IX is performing with a torn ACL! Sure, he's got 3 good ones, but even Justin Hunter had to be put on the shelf for the season to recover. The ACL is no joke, and Smokey IX is a true VFL, still leading his team onto the field every game. He doesn't need a dog house for shade, and he damn sure doesn't need a sack of ice to lie on. When Neyland is rockin', Smokey is a-howlin'. Two-bits, four-bits, Smokey's on the prowl. All for Tennessee, stand up and HOWL!

photo courtesy of govolsxtra.com

9 The Great QB Debate Aaron Murray vs. Tyler Bray
For this to even be a similar comparison, I looked at 8 games (the total amount of games Tyler Bray has started minus the Buffalo game -- couldn't find a decent comparison for Murray's 9th game) and 8 comparable games for Aaron Murray. See the attached image. Obviously it's close. Both are 6-2 in the games compared. Murray's completion percentage is slightly higher, but his attempts and yards are significantly less. Plus Murray had AJ Green. Bray also has a better TD/int ratio.

click to enlarge

8 Neyland Stadium

photo courtesy of tnjn.com

It's been a long time since Neyland was packed. A really long time. But it's also been a long time since there was a buzz around the team. Sure, Tennessee lost to Florida, but the Justin Hunter injury really dealt a blow. Also, the freshmen LBs got lost in coverage. And the special teams. BUT, the team believes, the coaches believe, the media believes, Vegas believes, and the FANS BELIEVE! The UT ticket office is projecting a sell-out, and for an ESPN2 7:00 game, Neyland will be basked in that beautiful orange glow. When the Pride of the Southland parts to the form the T and the team erupts onto the field, the atmosphere will be electric. The SEC east is up for grabs, and it's time we take another step towards of the front of the line.


7 The Pants

photo courtesy of derekdooleyonline.com

Much ado has been made about Dooley's orange pants (check out the belt buckle!). Tennessee people love them, everyone else thinks they're gaudy, loud, and hideous. Bill Battle rocked the orange pants back in the 1970s, and Johnny Majors sported orange polyester trousers in the '80s. Derek Dooley has embraced a cultural tradition few outside this area understand. Orange. Is. Beautiful. Just like Bruce Pearl with his orange blazer paying homage to Ray Mears, Dooley dons the orange pants in celebration of the rich history that is Tennessee football. So, the power of the pants will get Dooley his biggest win yet, and give him solid ground to stand on while leading Tennessee back to the top of the SEC.
















6 Dooley vs. Dooley

photo courtesy of footballspeakers.com

If you ask Derek Dooley if this game means anything special because of his family ties to the Georgia football lineage, he'll tell you, with a straight face, absolutely not. I tend to disagree, respectfully, of course. Dooley needs this game. His father, Vince, the long-time coach and athletic director at Georgia, refuses to wear orange. His mother, on the other hand, wants desperately for her "precious" to succeed. Not only does Derek Dooley need this game for familial purposes, he also needs to plant a stake in Georgia's recruiting heart. The dam is leaking right now, and more and more Georgia High School players are leaking out. Dooley can burst the dam wide open with a win this weekend. Georgia fans are already fidgetting and can't take many more shortcomings by Richt and his staff. A loss to Tennessee could send Georgia into a tailspin.

5 Weapons

GET SUM
photo courtesy of arkansasonline.com

photo courtesy of govolsxtra.com

For Tennessee: Tyler Bray and the passing game. For Georgia: Aaron Murray, Orson Charles, and Isaiah Crowell. On defense, Georgia is losing Cornelius Washington, but high profile, 5* recruit Ray Drew will be there in his place. Plus, they've got Rambo -- Always a plus. Tennessee won't be able to run the ball, but it won't matter. Tyler Bray will sling it all over the field to Da'Rick, Zach Rogers, DeAnthony Arnett, Mychal Rivera, Tauren Poole, Marlin Lane, or whoever else is open. There's a game Tyler Bray plays in the huddle, it's called "Who hasn't scored yet?" That's where 26 TD passes comes from.


4 Payback
41-14. Last year's score in Athens. Don't think for the second this team hasn't forgotten about it. After a heartbreaking loss to LSU, Tennessee came out flat and shellshocked. Georgia trounced, and Aaron Murray lit Tennessee up with 4 total touchdowns.


3 The Heimlich
Georgia, Georgia, Georgia. You have perfected the art of the let down and mastered the role of choke artist. You have learned how to lose, and forgotten what it feels like to be a dominant team. You get smacked around by Boise State (they're good, I get it), then find a way to lose against South Carolina. And that's just this year. You lost your bowl game last season to UCF. UCF!? And don't forget Colorado. In 2009, you lost to Kentucky. Wait, what? Kentucky?? KENTUCKY!

photo courtesy of sadfans.wickedsick.org

Hell, even Lane Kiffin found a way to embarrass you. Sure, Tennessee has had it's share of bad luck recently, but it doesn't even compare to Georgia. Tennessee has had 3 coaches with mediocre signing classes (compared to other SEC schools). YOU ARE GEORGIA! Your state produces some of the best football talent in the country! What're y'all doing down there!? You accept all this mediocrity, and expect for it to just get better. unfortunately, it all sounds familiar. See Point 2.


2 Fulmer Syndrome

photo courtesy of govolsxtra.com

And here we are. Now, to be honest, there's no comparison between the successes of Phillip Fulmer and Mark Richt. Fulmer won a national championship. HOWEVER, Fulmer set the precedent for Mark Richt in the way his Georgia career is winding down. Tennessee fans have seen all this before. Highly touted recruiting classes decimated by busts and thugs who get kicked out of school. An arrest record longer than a 6-year old's christmas wish list. Severe lack of player discipline. Hiring assistant coaches who would never be offered jobs at other SEC schools. Not firing said terrible assistant coaches. Richt got complacent, and it's biting him hard right about now. Randy Sanders was a scapegoat for Tennessee, much like I'm sure Mike Bobo will be for Richt. Georgia is falling apart, and the rest of the SEC is watching it happen. Tennessee is going to mollywop Georgia this weekend in Knoxville, and unless Richt pulls a Mack Brown and fires everyone, he may as well start putting his resume together. And it won't include a national title.  I hope your new coach knows CPR.


1 VolNation
The infamous thread. A VolNation classic: Reasons We fixina whip Georgias Ass

_______________________________________________________________________

I leave you with this. The devil went to Georgia for a reason. He got along with the locals. And something about a soul and a fiddle. But just remember this: whenever you hear the Battle Hymn of the Republic being played by some marching Red Coats, you can always sing along. Now remember, especially in the presence of UGA faithful, to scream the final line.

Glory, Glory to 'ole Georgia.

Glory, Glory to 'ole Georgia.

Glory, Glory to 'ole Georgia,

THE CESSPOOL OF THE SOUTH!

photo courtesy of ERIC FREAKING BERRY!

SEC Power Rankings Week 6

Bama  > LSU

It is Week 6 SEC Power Ranking time, which means it is also the announcement of the top two and maybe three teams in the nation.  We learned more this weekend about our conference and the scope of football in general.  One thing for sure, Alabama is the best team in College Football.  The staff at RockyTopics has turned in their rankings and Alabama received every 1^st place vote except for one.  Here is how it looks.

#1 Alabama proved this week they are the team to beat by going to Ben Hill Griffin (formerly known as "the Swamp") and beat Florida like they stole something.  Alabama has the best run defense in college football.  Don’t even try to run on them.  If they took a knee every play this week against Vandy, Alabama would still win by 12 points.  How about Trent Richardson?  Does that guy have some wheels?  Not only is he pimpin' a $60K ride without a job, he can run with authority.  Those Alabama boosters sure are courteous.

#2 LSU let’s see who did they play?  Well, it will come to me later.  LSU has a good team, but they are not Alabama.  Alabama would beat them on any turf Les Miles chooses to graze from.  With that said, they would beat Oklahoma so badly that Oklahoma would want to join the Sunbelt by halftime.

#3a Arkansas showed a lot of grit after getting beaten the way they did by Alabama.  Then to fall as far behind Texas A&M as they did and to come back and win tells us that this team grew up fast.  And Tyler Wilson can play.  Arkansas still has some question marks and Texas A&M is no SEC team (that’s right), but Arkansas looks like a team that can make a run at the top five.

#3b Auburn yes, we have a tie for the third spot.  As bad as I hate to admit it, the towel swinging of Trooper Taylor was enough to propel Auburn to another win Saturday.  Auburn simply finds a way to win.  Dyer looks like a featured SEC back and Trotter played smart enough to put his team in place to win.  The Auburn D finally showed up, but the special teams looked poor at times.

#5 Florida is so gay and so are their fans.  Florida came out swinging Saturday night and then they realized “they are who we thought they are” and they are better than us!  Had Brantley not gotten hurt, Florida would have lost 52-10.  After Brantley went down, Weis got conservative and Saban got bored.  Florida has to find some offense from their green QB if they want to move up in this poll.

#6 South Carolina who knows what to expect with this team?  Their D looks good, but their QB looks like Verne Lundquist in a Speedo (sick)!  What is wrong with this team?  They should win the East.  Their problem is the name on their jersey.  If you took every player and coach from this staff and put them at UT or Florida they would win the East and contend for the Championship.  It must be awful to wake up and know you are a South Carolina fan.

#7 UGA they are like the Hamlet movie that Mel Gibson was in back in the 90’s.  You know what I mean…..they spent all that money and the cast and props look great, but the story is still the same stupid story that nobody cares about.  They get #7 simply because of the Georgia High School football programs.  Just imagine if they were coached up.

#8 Tennessee has the best QB in the SEC, but still no running game and their special teams has found a way to get worse.  They get a punt blocked, pick it up, run for the first down, and the whole bench celebrates like they just beat somebody.  The defense has now given up four 50+ yard TDs in four games.  They don’t know where to line up and they can’t tackle.  This site may have some interesting reads on Wilcox before the season is over.

#9 Mississippi State what a bunch of rednecks.  They are just not any good, but they are Miss St.  All of the SEC media members that voted for Chris Relf in front of Tyler Bray should turn in their credentials today.  Just another reason why we do not allow media members to contribute to RockyTopics.

#10 Vanderbilt did they play this weekend?  I don’t get ESPN 8 so let’s just say they had the week off.  How bad are the next two teams if an intramural team can be in front of you?

#11 Ole Miss does not deserve to be in the SEC.  They are more like a Big 12 team.  They look great coming out of the tunnel and nobody watches them on TV and everybody knows they are not nearly as good as they think they are.  Hey, they don’t care how bad they are so why should we keep them in the conference?  I would much rather have Southern Miss (and Brett Favre) in the conference than Ole Mess.

#12 Kentucky is simply terrible.  They are so bad that I honestly thought UT was playing Kentucky Saturday instead of Buffalo, but then I noticed how well the Bulls blocked and I knew it was not Kentucky.  They have officially decided to play basketball year round and they are going to use their football budget to buy each Basketball player a new SUV and a years supply of tattoos.

Go Vols!

RR

SEC: What 2 Watch 4 - Week 5

12:00, Cowboy's Stadium

Arlington, TX

ESPN

Record:

#18 Arkansas (3-1, 1-1 SEC)
#14 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-1 BIG XII)

W2W4: How does each team respond to the first loss? Can A&M recover after letting OSU score 21 straight in the 3rd quarter? Will Arkansas recover enough from the beatdown in Tuscaloosa to run the offense? This game will be a preview of a future SEC opponent, so I think a lot of people will be interested to see how A&M performs against an SEC defense.

Prediction: Arkansas, 34-31

12:00, Sanford Stadium

Athens, GA

ESPN3

Record:

Mississippi State (2-2, 0-2 SEC)
Georgia (2-2, 1-1 SEC)

W2W4: Which program is better than it's record? MSU probably should've beaten Auburn, and hung with LSU for a long time. UGA is a trainwreck, the fans are bailing on Mark Richt, and two early losses to Boise State and South Carolina put Georgia in a big hole. If Georgia loses, Mark Richt's last game may be in Knoxville next weekend. Mississippi State thought it had nudged its way up to the big table in the SEC -- what a difference a year makes. Is MSU capable of winning in the SEC this year? Can Dan Mullen circle the cowbells and get a big road SEC win?

Prediction: 31-24, Mississippi State

12:21, Tiger Stadium

Baton Rouge, LA

ESPN3

Record:

Kentucky (2-2, 0-1 SEC)
#1 LSU (4-0, 1-0 SEC)

W2W4: Can Kentucky really be THAT bad? Unfortuntely, yes. Can LSU get up for this game and dominate like they should with Florida looming next week? Does Jordan Jefferson get mop up duty in the 2nd half?

Prediction: 48-10, LSU

12:30, Neyland Stadium

Knoxville, TN

ESPN3

Record:

Buffalo (1-3, 0-1 MAC)
Tennessee (2-1, 0-1 SEC)

W2W4: Tennessee is a 28.5-point favorite, but historically does TERRIBLE against the spread. Can Tennessee cover? How will the passing game look without Justin Hunter / who can/will become the #2 WR? Will Tennessee be able to run the ball on lowly Buffalo? Will they even try?

Prediction: 42-13, Tennessee

3:30, Williams-Brice Stadium

Columbia, SC

CBS

Record:

Auburn (3-1, 1-0 SEC)
#10 South Carolina (4-0, 2-0 SEC)

W2W4: Dark horse game of the week. How will Auburn respond after losing @ Clemson? Can South Carolina's offense get it together? Will Auburn be able to contain Lattimore? If so, will Garcia be able to get the ball to Alshon Jeffery? Can Auburn handle South Carolina's defense, or can Auburn keep South Carolina's defense out of the end zone?? Will Melvin Ingram score again?

Prediction: 31-30, South Carolina


8:00, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

Gainesville, FL

CBS

Record:

#3 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC)
#12 Florida (4-0, 2-0 SEC)

W2W4: OH BABY! Game of the week. How long will Demps/Rainey stay in the game? How will Nick Saban and Kirby Smart scheme around Chris Rainey? Can John Brantley win the game for Florida? Can Florida's front 7 contain Richardson and Lacy? Can Florida withstand a 10-round bout with Alabama? Will Florida get TKO'd in the 3rd round? How badly does Muschamp want to beat Saban? Will there be trickeration? Can Florida get pressure on McCarron without blitzing?

Prediction: 37-17, Alabama

9:15, Bulldog Stadium

Fresno, CA

ESPN2

Record:

Ole Miss (1-3, 0-2 SEC)
Fresno State (2-2, 1-0 WAC)

W2W4: Just how fed up is the state of Mississippi with Houston Nutt? I only ask because it seems everyone BUT Ole Miss is calling for Nutt to be fired. Does Ole Miss care they suck? Do they just want to party in The Grove? Is it conceivable for Nutt to keep his job, no matter how the rest of the season turns out? Listen, no offense to Vanderbilt, but when Vanderbilt hands you a 30-0 shellacking, and you barely eek out a touchdown in the final minutes of game (AGAINST VANDY'S 2ND TEAM!!), you've got serious, serious issues. In my eyes, Houston Nutt should be gone no later than Monday of next week, and the campaign for Guz Malzahn should be on. Ole Miss needs to get on Malzahn before Georgia does. There's too much talent in the state of Mississippi (all going to Mississippi State) for Ole Miss to be this bad.

Prediction: 24-13, Fresno State