Week 6: The Sun Rises in the SEC East

It's pretty much the SEC East this year, and Florida is the team to beat.

I think its safe to say that LSU had a significant role in their defeat on Saturday, namely in that their offense didn’t execute. Whether that’s the home-field advantage of the Swamp (Kirk Herbstreit called it the most significant home-field advantage in College Football on Saturday) , Florida’s brilliant defensive packages confusing the jean shorts off Jamarcus Russell, or that LSU, like Auburn and the rest of the SEC West, isn't that good, we may never know, so we’ll have to give some credit to Florida. After all, their offense was effective against the vaunted LSU defense, even when telegraphing their plays, such as the inevitable Tim Tebow QB draw.

Speaking of whom, as my brother would say, Tim Tebow’s “got minerals” and he looks like the real deal. I don’t know what minerals have to do with anything, but the sentiment is agreed upon. Particularly, you can see “real dealness” in his now-famous “jumpshot” touchdown pass, or the de rigeur ten yards he picks up on his draws even though everyone knows it’s coming. Minerals indeed. I think Tim Tebow gets enough iron in his diet. It’s scary for the rest of the SEC that he’s only a freshman.

But before we crown Florida let’s see if they can ride it out as the #2 team in the country (I still can’t fathom the USA Today Coaches Poll persisting with USC at #2, so I will henceforward disregard that poll). So far this season this has been the most dangerous ranking in the Top 10. Texas got beat as #2 by Ohio State. The following week, Notre Dame held the coveted #2 and promptly learned the drill in the clinic Michigan put on in South Bend. Still not convinced?

Just ask Auburn.

Auburn, I think, wasn’t taking Arkansas too seriously. I can’t blame them. I’d actually been planning a ‘Where Are the Now’ post on former Boise State coaches, lampooning their relative lack of success compared to the sustained ascendancy of their former program. This would apply to Dirk Koetter, Dan Hawkins and Houston Nutt at Arkansas. But after this weekend, I may have to table this for a while since it takes three to establish a trend (rhetorically at least) and Nutt just excused himself from the kid’s table with the biggest win of his career.

On the strength of a daring offensive game plan (which included a rare, crouching fumblerooski) and stout defense, Nutt walked into Jordan Hare stadium and handled Auburn like a drunk uncle disciplining his bratty nephew. At the same time, Arkansas asserted its hold on the SEC West. They’ve still got to beat LSU in Little Rock(?), but have set the table for a big match up in the SEC championship game. One question for Nutt, though, where was this team against USC last month?

Finally, maybe the SEC West isn’t that good? Brian at MGoBlog expands in his latest BlogPoll.

Back to the Coaches Poll, the curse of #2 may well apply here as well since I foresee a tough road ahead for the USC Trojans. After two tests in a row to the middling Pac 10 schools from Washington, Cal must be licking its chops. Oregon’s got a fighting chance. And maybe Notre Dame is for real after all. The end of USC’s schedule is starting to look a little much for this team as it’s currently playing.

Michigan’s Passing Attack, which they strategically hid for the first two games of the season, is simple: Touchdown Bombs. Henne was 11 of 17 for a few under 200 yards, but tossed 3 TDs in the process (2 to Manningham, 1 to Arrington). This is textbook establishing the run to setup the motherfucking deadly pass. When Michigan can run for 250 + yards, teams have to sell out to stop Hart et al, but then within 40 yards of the end zone they’re in position to score with Henne Bombs to Mannigham and Arrington.

Quick Shots

*Manningham has 527 yards and 9 touchdowns receiving this season compared to Ted Ginn’s 459 yards and 6 TDs and Ginn’s the Heisman candidate?

*Was I wrong about Cal or wrong about Oregon? I think mostly it’s that I jumped on the bandwagon after Cal’s loss at Tennessee. But now, I think they’re a dangerous team.

*Georgia’s finally running out of borrowed time.