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Humm
Baby....World Champs
To Les Miles and the entire Bayou Bengal Family....please accept my sincere apology for ever doubting you. Since LSU's opening season win against North Carolina, I have questioned the validity of the Tigers' existence in the Top 10. I could count on numerous weekends how many times the Tigers found a way to win depsite themselves. Each bizarre finish, each clock management fiasco, each better-to-be-lucky-than-good scenario that has plagued LSU football....I laughed and questioned the program. I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry that I didn't respect the big picture that LSU and Head Coach Les Miles have it under control and and on the fast track to being in the discussion for SEC and national honors. What was I thinking? I thought for sure that Bama and Nick Saban, with two weeks to prepare, would have LSU and Les Miles covered. I figured it would be the typical, tough affair, but in the end, coaching would be the difference and it would be Saban and Co. in a mismatch. I'm sorry. Les and his band of Bengals deserve all the props. The next time I go off on the "Mad-Hatter" on the blog, radio or TV, just remind me of the apology. I need to learn my lesson about ever doubting the LSU Tigers. The ACC is a mess this side of Blacksburg. And after watching the Hokies struggle at home with an injury-depleted Georgia Tech team, I'm not convinced that they are a lock for the ACC title game, either. This past weekend of games saw all three first place Atlantic teams lose:
It's anybody's guess who will qualify for the trip to Charlotte on December 4th. Sometimes that's good, sometimes that's bad. The craziness surrounding the league each week can be incredibly entertaining as it drives you nuts but it also puts a stamp of mediocrity over the entire league. This weekend, the Southern Fried Football™ Tour heads to Chapel Hill for the UNC-Virginia Tech game.....you wanna guess how this game turns out? I've given up trying to figure this stuff out.....I figured NC State with extra time to prepare for Clemson would have no trouble against a shaky Tiger team. Wrong. I figured FSU would be ticked off after letting one get away in Raleigh, and they would handle a UNC team that was lucky to beat William & Mary. Wrong. The ACC is a mess....and that's the way it's supposed to be. Last week on my radio shows, I heard from a number of South Carolina fans that the Arkansas game was meaningless because the showdown in the Swamp with Florida would determine the SEC East champion. Based on the Gamecocks' performance, apparently Steve Spurrier and his team must have been listening. South Carolina was trampled by a bunch of Hogs from Arkansas.....it was ugly. I wonder if those same USC fans still feel the same way about the game? The Gamecocks have big problems with their pass defense, and you wonder what their mindset will be after being embarrassed at home on national television. The proceedings were so bad that ESPN announcer Brad Nessler claimed, "there are so few people in the stands that if you gave each one a water bottle, they couldn't put out a fire." Now the Old Ball Coach takes his boys down to the Swamp...a place that he made famous back in the 90's. At stake is the SEC East title, which ironically will go to the only team in the division that can finish above .500. It will be pointed out all week long that South Carolina has never won in Gainesville and that Florida has won 18 of the last 19 in the series. If there's ever been a time for South Carolina to make a trip to Atlanta, this is the year.....now they've got to go earn it.....the hard way. Another shocker from the weekend took place in the Southern Conference where the nation's #1 ranked team, Appalachian State, lost to Georgia Southern. The loss, coupled with Wofford's win over Samford, gives the Terriers a one-game lead in the conference heading into their big game with App State this weekend. ASU's loss snapped an amazing 26-game conference winning streak. What made it more surprising is that the Mountaineers led 14-0 in the opening quarter before losing 21-14. The last time the Mountaineers lost in the conference was back in October of 2007 to the same Georgia Southern Eagles. Don't you love college football in November? There's nothing better than a big game with a conference title on the line....and that's true whether it's the Southern Conference or the SEC. How bad can it get for the Carolina Panthers? After watching them get ambushed by the defending world champs 34-3, there's not much left to say on the positive side of the Panthers' effort. The only thing that comes to mind is a successful fake punt....and that pretty much sums up the good news. The Carolina Panthers have the worst offensive football team that I've ever seen in my adult life. They are not only incompetent, but there is absolutely no playmaker to be found on the field.....especially when they continue to do nothing creative to get the ball into the hands of Steve Smith. Compounding their problems is the injury bug that has depleted the running game in every shape, way and form. I'm not sure the Panthers are sold on any of their QB's, which includes Moore, Clausen, Pike or any other stiff they can bring in from the bench or the stands. It's probably not fair to judge any of them, given how inept this team is from an offensive coaching standpoint....but the team is stuck with this crap until the end of the year, when there will be massive changes. I wonder if Darin Gantt still believes that Jeff Davidson will be a head coach in the NFL in the next five years? Just think about this stat....the Panthers have scored 46 points in their 5 home games. Half of those points (23) came in a winning effort against San Francisco. The other four games (all losses) the team has accumulated 23 points......it's hard to believe they are NFL-worthy. The good news for Panther fans is that the team is on the road for three of the next four weeks. So there's no need to worry about ruining your football weekends on a product that is disgusting. Say what you want about Cowboys owner Jerry Jones...but when his team dropped to 1-6 last week, he apologized for the product and incompetency. As for Jerry Richardson, he's nowhere to be found. Like his football team....he's consistent. I'm trying to figure out which fight was better...... The Breeders Cup Marathon showdown between jockeys Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano or the Jeff Gordon - Jeff Burton slapfest on the Texas Motor Speedway backstretch. Both of them were hilarious.....if you missed it.....be sure to check out the highlights. |
Packman
on Sports Commentary
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