Brent's Week 3 College Picks

Okay. Week 3. Here we go.

Thursday:
MIAMI 28, Georgia Tech 24. Canes eek it out late.

Saturday:
ALABAMA 42, North Texas 7. Tide’s Special teams received some unwanted hands-on supervision this week!
FLORIDA 56, tennessee 14. Ouch! Shut up, Kiffin, or it will really get out-of-hand...!
SOUTH CAROLINA 35, Florida Atlantic . 17 The Cocks finally get an offensive punch, but the D can’t stop anybody from scoring…!
LSU 31, Louisiana-Lafayette 7. Bayou Bengals overpower and eventually pull away.
VANDERBILT 24, Mississippi State 14 Commodores overcome injuries, while Bulldogs run out of steam.
OLE MISS 34, Southeastern Louisiana 14 Rebels get their bearings after extended vacation.
ARKANSAS 31, Georgia 24 Will Razorbacks get caught looking ahead to Bama…? Not likely. Bulldogs secondary will be exposed.
auburn 21, West Virginia 20 Both teams come in undefeated, yet virtually untested. Whoever blinks first loses. Oddly enough, the plainsmen/tigers/war eagles/wtf will be better prepared.
KENTUCKY 28, Louisville 17 Cats consume Cardinal

Elsewhere:
BYU 42, Florida St. 14. Poor Bobby. Poooor, poor Bobby…..
TEXAS 42, TEXAS Tech 21 Harrell and Crabtree are gone. First road game for new qb. Longhorns won’t slow down.
USC 49, Washington 14. The Huskies made LSU look better than they really are. Trojans pile on. Some pundits go ahead and award Southern Cal the championship. They are declared to be 'possibly the greatest team of all time' again......
Notre Dame 21, Michigan St 14. Irish finally get lucky. A win should put them in the top five.
UTAH 28, Oregon 17 Utes still seem to be legit.

SABAN Returns With TIDE To LSU

Do you smell corn-dogs...? If you've ever been to the cesspool that is Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, you KNOW what I'm talking about. That place just smells funny.

And the home crowd is the rudest, most vulgar and inhospitable bunch you'd ever want to meet. They are openly hostile and verbally abusive. I would not recommend visitors take their families to a game there, especially at night after LSU fans have had all day to get liquored-up. Lucky for The Tide it's a day game, so maybe everyone wearing purple and gold won't be cursing, falling down, and puking...!

They have always hated Alabama. (A 20-year home losing record will do that to ya!) Sure, they've had some recent success-- barely-- and now they fear us. We're on the rise, and Saban's recruits are graduating...! They try to lay all the blame on Saban, but he left their cupboard full of talent. They act like he left straight from Baton Rouge to Tuscaloosa, conveniently forgetting that HE LEFT THEM FOR THE NFL!

Anyway, I know the 'tigahs' will be fired up, but ALABAMA is just too strong and talented. LSU may keep it close early, but a superior CRIMSON TIDE will shut them down. Heck, we might even hold them to a goose-egg..! Look for the home sides of the stadium to empty out early.

ALABAMA 38, LSU 14

First Picks of October

Ah-ight. Last week is over, The TIDE is #2, and an undefeated Kentucky Wildcat team is coming to visit in a nationally-televised SEC matchup. Alabama has been reminded and lectured all week about the second-half letdown in the Georgia game, so don't look for anyone to come out flat. Kentucky has been opportunistic if un-spectacular, but they ARE 4-0. Not sure how well they'll do if we can stop them outside of the red zone. We have to avoid giving up the big plays.
The 'Cats match up pretty well at skill positions, but will be out-slugged and mugged by our big D. Look for Bama to pull away in the second half.
ALABAMA 42, Kentucky 14.

Okay, here's the rest of the picks:

Tebow & the Gators take out their frustrations on a reeling Razorback squad. Arkansas should be able to finally score a few points, but not nearly enough. Will Petrino last the season...? Florida 54, Arkansas 14

tennessee is just not very good. It's obvious that David Cutcliffe has always been the one responsible for much of tennessee's success. The 'viles' should get some relief against Northern Illinois. But not much. Will fatty fulmer's time finally be up....? If so, who's next in line...? tennessee 14, NI 10

The Gamecocks visit The Rebels in a wacky match-up that's anybody's ball game. Spurrier is not very happy with the lack of progress by South Carolina's squad. If he can't find a quarterback to run his offense, might the Ol' Ball Coach reeeeally consider making a move over to Knoxville...? Ole Miss 21, Carolina 13

Now the UGLY: Isn't that 'spread offense' something...? auburn better hope they get it together. ESPN's Gameday is in Nashville for the first time EVER! To see -- this is not a typo-- an UN-DEFEATED VANDERBILT host the tigers/war-eagles/plainsmen/whatever. The Commodores are ranked and rolling while making very few mistakes, and tubby's tigers have been less-than-impressive so far this season. Will the Vandy Cinderella story continue...? Or will auburn find their footing and bring the 'Dores back down to Earth...? Can the tigers overcome their own ineptitude...? Will they implode on national tv..
And don't be surprised to see THIS guy outside the stadium in Nashville. If things go as they have all season, he MAY just have a job by halftime...!
Not likely. auburn 21, vanderbilt 17

The TIDE is ROLLING IN...!

That's right, Georgia. Black makes you look sexy. Assume the position. Accept your fate. Now, go clean yourself up and fix Big Al a drink and some dinner, bitch! The SEC, as well as the rest of the nation, has been served notice.
The following photo was sent to me by Scottie Willis, fellow Tide fan and purveyor of All Fine Things Crimson:

Thank you, Scottie!

After last nights destruction of the Georgia Bulldogs, The University of Alabama Crimson Tide can no longer fly under the radar or be overlooked. After yet another dismantling of a pre-season top-10 team, folks are paying attention. And wondering just what to think.
To upcoming opponents, I offer a word of advice: Take some pain medication. At least a half hour before kickoff. Maybe it will ease the oncoming trauma.
Until, that is, YOU REALIZE 'THE PROCESS' IS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE! In other words, get used to it. All the haters and naysayers, please shut your pie-holes. You'll get your turn.
Roll Tide.

Today's S.E.C. PICKS

Now it REALLY starts. After a surprisingly easy win over Arkansas, The Crimson Tide rolls into Athens for a big game on ESPN on the national stage for the second time this season. ESPN's Gameday crew will be on hand for the Georgia game to hype/promote/report/jump on the bandwagon. (As an aside, to see some of the best ESPN Gameday signs held up behind the set go to http://www.bustedcoverage.com/?p=7340 . And yes, I suggest you look up the meaning to any words about Corso style reference!)

Last year, an under-manned heavy underdog Alabama took a young Bulldog squad to the wire, losing in overtime. The young squad of Saban recruits this year have kicked it up a notch, and are seemingly putting it together earlier than anticipated. We match up pretty well on both sides, and this looks to be a great contest with several great matchups all over. It will be exciting, but I think The Tide will be ready. The Dawgs will be unable to top Mount Cody, and I think we will see some different offensive looks from Bama. We should be able to pressure their quarterback enough to make up for the height advantage they have over our speedy defensive backs. Again, we should see something different. Tide rolls, moves into Top 5.
ALABAMA 31, Georgia 20

Okay, now to the rest of the Conference:

auburn faces tennessee in a freakish orange clash which the tigers/plainsmen/war-eagles (MAKE UP YOUR F*****G MIND!) should prevail. Another nail-biter. cow college 14, vols 7

KENTUCKY 34, Western Kentucky 10 Kentucky should break into the Top 25.

Gamecocks get much-needed practice. Spurrier may finally get to see his offense play close to what he envisions. SOUTH CAROLINA 31, UAB 14

LSU 45, Mississippi State 14 Tigers are too much for these Bulldogs.

In a make-up game from a hurricane delay, the Arkansas Razorbacks travel to take on the Texas Longhorns. I don't think the Hogs are as bad as Bama made them look last week, and some of their mistakes will be corrected. This one, surprisingly, will be closer than many people think. Texas 21, Arkansas 20

Ole Miss IS steadily improving and Nutt has a few tricks up his sleeve, but I don't think the Rebels will be able to sneak up on Florida this time. They always play the Gators tough and took them to the wire last year, but I believe it will end up Florida 45, Mississipi 17

Nationally, Penn State should top Illinois 28-10. They say Joe Paterno has one foot in the grave, but if that's the case he has the other one on somebody's throat!

On a side note, I was shocked--SHOCKED-- that once again the highly-touted 'possibly-the-greatest-team-in-college-football-history-EVER' USC Trojans were upset by the OREGON STATE BEAVERS. I was honestly surprised, but it has happened before. And it is quite satisfying after hearing the hype annually about how invincible Southern Cal is.

Tide Cooks up Hogs in Fayetteville: This Week's Picks

Normally, you could say this would be an old-fashioned, grind-it-out-up-the-middle contest, but now real life ain't that way. Sure, you'll see Ingram and Coffee and Upchurch and Grant get some carries, but look for this to be an aerial affair. Heck, if the Arkansas passing game is as good as they say, this could look like a flea circus with JP Wilson linging to Julio, BJ Scott, Stover and the gang! The guess here is that our "D", with Cody whipping their All-American center and friends all day, will keep the Razorbacks off their rhythm.
ALABAMA 28, Arkansas 17

Is the offense of the Plainsmen playing opossum...? tubby better hope not, and the chant will be "Whoa, eagle...!" If the tigers from this state aren't saving up, and the offense is as sluggish here as it was last week, this could get ugly fast. I look for it to be closer than what many expect:
LSU 24, auburn 20

The Gators ARE this much better....
Florida 48, Tennessee 14

The Bulldogs should stroll into next week undefeated and ripe for pickin'....
Georgia 28, Arizona State 17

The Jackets aren't nearly as good as auburn.....
Mississippi State 10, Georgia Tech 7

Although Spurrier will want more points, this is just what the 'Cocks need:
South Carolina 35, Wofford 7

This could be the most interesting SEC game this weekend!
Ole Miss & Vandy= Toss-up!

COOL BAMA SPORTS ILLUSTRATED ALTERNATE COVERS

Click on the title of this post to see some cool alternate BAMA Sports Illustrated Covers....!

NEW BAMA TWINS MAKE DEBUT AS TIDE WINS BIG!

Wade and Cole Ellis made a splash in their Gameday BAMA attire Saturday night as they watched their first Crimson Tide victory! The matching 'onesies' were a necessary gift from Aunt Alice & Uncle Brent. (Regrettably, I forgot the 'Breathe-Rites' for their noses and the grease paint for their cheeks.... Oh, well...! There's always next week...!)



Above is a snapshot taken before kickoff, and the one below (doctored by Uncle Brent) is after The TIDE administered the proverbial whipping:

Undoubtedly, this will be the first of many entertaining and victorious University of Alabama football contests these men will enjoy in their lifetimes! Much cheering and glad tidings in abound, as a houseful of friends, neighbors and relatives enjoyed the season-opening entry in the "W" column. There were a few confused looks and some startling moments for the new guys, but they were real troopers until they inevitably nodded off.

And, by the way, my prediction was dangerously close....! Matter of fact, most of my picks panned out this weekend! So far, only Mississipi State has let me down.....

RTR!

First Picks of College Football Season

Well, we're here again. First week of football season. Bama on national TV.
Hurricane brewing in the Gulf of Mexico. Looks like things are back to normal.

This means picking football games. The USC Gamecocks and Vanderbilt Commodores started the SEC slate off on a positive note with decisive victories. This should continue, for the most part. Every team in the Conference has a good chance to be 1-0 before Conference play begins. Hopefully, the Tide can keep the trend alive. I'll probably be way off, but what the heck!

Without too much fluff or fanfare, here we go:
Look for Georgia to top Ga. Southern, 34-10
LSU will thump Appalachian State (no sneakin' up!) 42-17
Florida gets Hawaii (June! Come back, June!) 44-14
MSU should get by La. Tech 21-10 (we'll see if Croom's for real)
Arkansas most likely will overpower W. Illinois 29-6
auburn will pound La.-Monroe (no upset here!) 52-17
Ole Miss should to Memphis 17-14 (Nutt finds a way!)
Kentucky outplays Louisville, 27-24 (Brooks will bring consistency)
tennessee should finally win a big one over UCLA, 31-21

This brings me to Atlanta on Saturday night. ALABAMA plays Clemson on national network television Saturday night. The Tigers are ranked #9 and The TIDE is an underdog.
We match up pretty well, and we'll get a chance early to see how these highly-touted freshmen will do on a big-time, national stage. I'M DRINKIN' THE KOOL-AID! My pick: Bama's young studs out-jump, out-run, and out-muscle the Tigers.

UPSET SPECIAL!
ALABAMA 31 Clemson 21

IRON BOWL WISH

ALABAMA PLEASEpleasePLEASEpleasePLEASE PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE
BEAT auburn......!
I'm still so full of turkey & dressing that I can hardly move.
Hopefully, The TIDE can end this string of embarrassing losses and 'right the ship'.
Arkansas (barely) beats LSU (in 3OT) to end the Tigers' national championship hopes. LSU will still represent the West in the SEC Championship game. MSU comes from behind to beat Ole Miss and send Orgeron packing. Kentucky and Tennessee looks to be a good matchup, and with a win the vols can be right back in the SEC Eastern driver's seat. Crazy season!

I HATE Orange.(or Will the REAL Fil Phulmer Please Stand Up?)

Well, it's 'Tennessee week' in Tuscaloosa. The hated 'big orange' and his volunteers visit The Capstone in a matchup that (for the first time in decades) isn't on national television. The traditional "Third Saturday in October" is now relegated to the Lincoln Financial (formerly Jefferson-Pilot) Network.
It's a sad fate for what was once THE matchup in October. And even moreso this year, with both teams experiencing less-than-stellar seasons. We all know the story of Fulmer and the 'secret witness to the NCAA' crap. I really find that whole ordeal disgusting, since Tee Martin's mom received a car and he got cash, and they didn't even get a slap on the wrist!
Don't be surprised to see Fatty Fulmer munching on a ham during a tv timeout...


....Or dealing with some yardbird.......


...Maybe with burgers and doughnuts for all......


Or, I just think of him this way:

This is actually a more pleasing and less disgusting image.

Here's a funny Notre Dame football ad for NBC. It's supposed to be a parody spot from Saturday Night Live.

I have to say, it's pretty funny.... And dangerously accurate!

Now, a word about last week before my prediction. Alabama won. Ole Miss lost. Get over it. It happens. All of these people who are saying it's just favoritism for Alabama are full of shit. (Please refer to last year's unpenalized end-zone mugging of DJ Hall during the Tennessee game. Or the one-hop off the grass td awarded to Arkansas a few years back) Bad calls and no-calls are numerous throughout the league. It happens to everybody.
Take your Pamprin and quit crying.

This week: Bama and Tennessee are both mediocre, at best. As I've said before, there's not much difference between ANYbody in the SEC. Hopefully, we will look better than we did against the Rebels.
PREDICTION: ALABAMA 24 tennessee 20

CRAP! Corso Picks BAMA

Well, hopefully it's not the usual 'kiss of death'. Normally anytime that hack from ESPN, Lee Corso, picks us when we host ESPN Gameday, we roll over. And lose. On national tv. With the college football world watching. (My favorite Corso moment is when he questioned Gene Stallings about his strategy, and Coach Stallings replied "Well, I guess that's why I'm coaching a championship team and you're announcing or analyzing or talking about it.....")
Except this time it's different. I think The Tide is better prepared and hungry for another victory at home over a ranked opponent on national television. It's about time. I believe we are about evenly matched with the Georgia Bulldogs, but I think we can actually claim (legitimately) home-field advantage for a change.
I think the oddsmakers' 31/2 points us about right.
Prediction: ALABAMA 28, Georgia 24

My OTHER Picks:
WHY in the world would anyone outside of Gainesville actually want to see this? Fortunately, due to technical difficulties, no one will have to, as it is mercifully pre-empted. Apologies to Glover and the Rebel nation......
FLORIDA 1,000,000 Ole Miss 3

Spurrier's pretty sneaky, but I think the Bayou Bengals are just too strong....
LSU 31, South Carolina 28

The Razorbacks nearly pulled another one out over the Tide last week. Do they have enough in the tank to stop The Wildcats? History says probably not.
Kentucky 31, Arkansas 28

Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions are just a little too strong for the enigmatic Wolverines.
PENN STATE 24, Michigan 10

Irish will finally score......to no avail
MICHIGAN STATE 28, Notre Dame 3

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while......
auburn 5, New Mexico 3