Sportaholic Weekend Run Down 11/21/11

This has to be one of the best weekends in a long time for sport heads like myself. You had two championship decided as Tony Stewart took down Carl Edwards in what some are calling the best Nascar championship ever. Stewart won 5 races out of 10 “The Chase”, Nascar’s equivalent to the playoffs. Next it was soccer’s turn as Major League Soccer crowned its champion in the L.A. Galaxy featuring soccer superstars David Beckham and Landon Donavan. Two championships in one week is nothing but gravy on top of an already chaotic football slate. The BCS has officially been turned on its head as 3 of the top 5 lost for the first time since 2008 as Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Oregon went down fighting this weekend. In the NFL, another big time QB suffered what appears to be a season ending injury. Just another weekend packed full of turns and twists in the world of sports.

Tony Stewart steals Sprint Cup from Carl Edwards: This season all but verified the much maligned “Chase for the Cup” in my opinion. Tony Stewart was considered nothing more but after thought at the beginning as favorites Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards was what the pundits had predicted. Stewart had other ideas as he opened the chase with a win at Chicagoland another the next week and three more at Martinsville, Texas and finally Homestead. Had it not been for Edwards consistency, as he never finished lower than 9th other than Martinsville 11th place finish, Stewart would have ran away with this one. The two battled hard all day but as all Edwards had to do was take the lead during the last 50 laps of the race but Stewart was unrelenting and would never give up the lead to Edwards. The two finished with the same identical points amount but Stewart won the tie-breaker by wins as he had 5 to Edwards 1. Great way to end the year by the boys in Nascar. I know my writing colleague Amanda Vincent will get a kick out of my Nascar coverage.

L.A. Galaxy win the MLS Cup: Five years ago the Galaxy made a move that gave soccer some momentum here in the states. They went and signed English superstar David Beckham and welcomed him and wife to L.A. They teamed him with the best US player, Landon Donovan and everyone expected them to begin a dynasty in the city of angels. Five years later and this is the first and maybe the last championship for the duo. The Galaxy would able to take the cup on the strength of Donovan’s goal that gave them a 1-0 lead in the 72nd minute that they would never relinquish Hopefully, this isn’t the last of this team as Beckham’s contract is due to expire at the end of this year. Soccer in America finally has a marquee team and L.A has their first soccer championship.

Jay Cutler breaks thumb on throwing hand: The collective groan you just hear is from the entire city of Chicago. Just when it seemed the Cutler and the Bears had it all together, the injury bug rears its ugly head. The former pro bowl QB has been confirmed to have suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand. Cutler had just posted 286 yards passing and two touchdown passes to lead the Bears over San Diego and overall to their fifth straight win. This is a major blow to the “Monsters of the Midway” as they were in prime position to at least make a run at the wild card in the NFC. The Packers are 3 games ahead of them in the division so it would hard for Chicago to catch with or without their QB. Cutler was enjoying his best year since joining the Bears in 2009. His 231.9 passing yards per game were the most since the trade and he had cut down on his turnovers as he has only thrown 7 interceptions this year. This is a big blow to a team that isn’t getting any younger. The Bears will have to go with back up Caleb Haynie in the meantime and hope Cutler can make it back when the playoffs begin. That if they are able to make it without him.

BCS turned upside down: The SEC now represents the top three teams in the latest standings as LSU, Alabama, and Arkansas flex the SEC’s muscle. The change up top came as Oklahoma St. lost to Iowa St., Oregon lost to USC, and Oklahoma lost to Baylor. This becomes a worst case scenario for all those who love the BCS (I haven’t met many) as now there is an entire brigade of 1-loss teams that have claim at the top spot. Bama reclaims the top spot and as crazy as it sounds could find itself in the BCS championship game without winning its own conference. LSU and Arkansas play this weekend in what will become another behemoth de facto game as the winner will determine who represents the SEC West in the SEC championship game. The upsets had to be expected as each year it seems a team on the verge on playing in the championship game goes down in dramatic fashion. Who knows who will make it in this year, but it always fun to watch the teams battle all the way to the finish line.

Great game from Tennessee and Vanderbilt: Being from Tennessee, its always a fun mini-rivalry game between the two SEC schools. Tennessee dominates the series and that’s why I can’t give full rivalry status. This last game they played might go down in history as one of the best. Vandy’s Jordan Rodgers had three costly turnovers and the final miscue cost the Commodores the game as Eric Gordon’s interception and 90 yard-return sealed the game for the Vols. Tyler Bray came back from injury to throw for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Tauren Poole was the difference maker in my opinion as he topped the century mark going for 110 yards and helping Tennessee control the line of scrimmage. The Commodores could have won this had it not been all of the turnovers. The Dores have lost close game to Florida, Georgia, and now arch enemy Tennessee. Great game by both counterparts and this one should make everyone for next years rematch.

Sportaholic LSU vs. Tennessee Preview

LSU vs. Tennessee preview:

                                                                          

One of the best games of the week happens to come to Neyland Stadium as LSU continues its quest for its 3rd BCS title as they face the Vols of Tennessee as they look for payback for the last second controversial loss in Death Valley and is one time defensive coordinator John Chavis homecoming. The Vols are coming off a devastating loss to Georgia and losing starting QB Tyler Brey. LSU on the other hand had its way with Florida. These two teams with vastly different outcomes from last game will clash in another good SEC battle.

Offense vs. Offense: The Volunteers are missing Brey and leading receiver Justin Hunter, they will try to run the offense with fifth year senior Matt Simms, who played in eight games last year ( including the LSU) but a lot has changed since last year. LSU offense got some more life with Jordan Jefferson playing, Jarrett Lee improving as QB, and Miles showing no fear in going for it on 4th down again. Even if LSU doesn’t score just having long drives with Alfred Blue, Spencer Ware, and Michael Ford running the ball. Wearing down Tennessee’s defense can open up the passing game which will open up Russell Sheppard and emerging star Odell Blackmon to put up an offensive explosion in Knoxville –Edge LSU

Defense vs. Defense: LSU once again, but has to be aware of Simms he is a senior so he isn’t going to be rattled early and he kept UT competive in the game last year. LSU defense however has had 3 years under John Chavis’s defensive scheme so they are familiar with it and in each game has gotten better and better. Tyrann Mathieu aka the Honey Badger is going to try to put some pressure on UTs receivers and Sam Washington and the D look to bring the heat to Simms all night. UTS defense will be playing “pick your poison” get pounded by the run or hit by the pass. - Edge LSU

Intangibles: Even though they are playing in Neyland Stadium LSU has won big games in Hostile territory this is going to be no different outcome- Edge LSU

Winner and why: LSU has gotten better every game offensively and defensively, but the main thing LSU hasn’t made dumb mistakes, hasn’t “given up “the big play”, stayed healthy, and remained focused. This will remain true this weekend even though UT will “give their all for Tennessee” it will not be enough. Too many weapons on both side of the ball on LSU for UT to handle- LSU 45 UT 17

Sportaholic College Football Weekend Setup 10/05/11

As we enter week 6 of the college football season, we can finally see some separation from the contending teams and the pretending teams. LSU, Bama, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma in the infamous words of Dennis Green’s Monday night football rant “Are who we thought they were” as all have been at the top of the polls since before the season started and they all have proved they belonged. On the other hand Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and Florida State have all tumbled out the top 10 and are just holding on for dear life to salvage their seasons. There have been a few upstarts as well as Clemson, Texas, and maybe the biggest surprise of them all in my book the Auburn Tigers have silently crept up the polls and put themselves in prime position to contend this year. The meat and potatoes of most programs schedules are now on deck and the battle for a spot in the BCS national championship really takes hold. This week’s feature games include the Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma of course, which may be much more interesting this year than most of us anticipated. Florida vs. LSU would have been good match up this time last week until Bama made a pretzel out of Jeff Brantley’s ankle. Lord be with you Jeff Driskell, the freshman starting in place of Brantley against that mean LSU defense. Ohio State vs. Nebraska sounds like it should be to-notch game especially with the weight those two names usually carry, but that’s until you look at those two teams season so far. Ohio State has been dismal on offense and the Huskers just got husked by Wisconsin.

Our local products in Tennessee have fared well so far this year. The University of Tennessee is 3– 1 on the strength of Tyler Bray’s arm and the teams prolific aerial attack. Even the Vanderbilt Commodores are 3-1 although they are coming off a blowout loss to South Carolina. There is plenty to be excited about for both programs as both show potential to be in the mix of the SEC East this year and beyond. I know a lot of people reading this will say ok I will give you Tennessee but Vandy? Yes the Commodores traditionally stink but young James Franklin is bringing a certain level of swagger to that program and has picked up the recruiting as well. Don’t be surprised when Vanderbilt pulls out a few upset victories over the next couple of years.



Now let’s jump into a few breakdowns:

Red River Shootout: Texas (4-0) vs. Oklahoma (4-0) – Going into the season it was hard for me to imagine this game would be any good. Oklahoma was far and away the best team in the Big 12 and ranked # 1 in the pre-season polls. Texas was just trying to get their respect back after a disappointing 5-7 campaign last year that saw them miss a bowl game altogether. But with the emergence of the little bro duo as I like to call them, Case McCoy and Jaxon Shipley have brought the Longhorns back from the dead (And David Ash as well). Oklahoma has been rolling of course with that explosive offense and experienced defense. You can’t start off a conversation about Oklahoma’s offense without mentioning QB Landry Jones and his top WR Ryan Broyles. Those two guys are in sync more than Justin Timberlake and JC Chavez. They provide a tough match up for the young Longhorn secondary. Another bright spot for Texas is freshman RB Malcolm Brown who has provided the rushing attack the Longhorns missed so much over past few years. This one should be close just for the sheer hatred that both of these schools have for each other. But when push comes to shove and Jones begins to heat up for OU, I just don’t see how the young Texans will be able to stop the Boomer Sooners offense. The Pick: Oklahoma

Georgia (2-2) vs. Tennessee (3-1) - This is an elimination game of sorts. Both teams already have one lost in the SEC with Georgia going down to South Carolina and Florida drilling UT a couple of weeks ago. The winner of this game will at least be tied for first place in the SEC East after South Carolina lost to Auburn last week. The game itself should see excellent QB play as pre-season 1st team all SEC QB Andy Murray of Georgia will be going up against the Tennessee gunslinger himself Tyler Bray (Who surprisingly didn’t make the cut of All-SEC picks in the pre-season when guys like Stephen Garcia did, what a joke).Georgia’s young freshman RB Isaiah Crowell has picked it up of late rushing for 100 yards in both of the last two SEC games for the Bulldogs. The team that is able to stop the other’s offense should win this game. That easier said than done as both have potent attacks as I mentioned above. WR Da’Rick Rogers, who now is Bray’s new favorite target with the ACL tear to the dynamic Justin Hunter, will have to step up big time in this one. Tennessee will need to get him the ball early and also try to establish its run game. The Bulldogs have one of the better defenses in the SEC so that will be hard to do. If Andy Murray can control himself and RB Crowell gets going, I think it will be too much for the Vols even though the are playing in Knoxville. The Pick: Georgia

Auburn (4-1) vs. Arkansas (4-1): Another good SEC game on the docket and I just couldn’t help )myself from previewing this one. This one intrigues me because you have two teams with spread offenses capable of putting a lot of points of the board in a hurry. Arkansas proved that last week as they came back from 18 down to beat Texas A&M. Tyler Wilson was a MAN as he passed for 510 yards despite taking multiple hits from the Aggies. Auburn defeated South Carolina and now has the ol ball coach Steve Spurrier switching out his QBs after Stephen Garcia (9/23 with two picks) could only muster up 13 points for the Gamecocks. Auburn’s defense surprisingly held stud RB Marcus Lattimore to just 68 yards as well but they won’t have to worry about that much against the Razorbacks who’s running game has been absent every since RB Knile Davis went down. Michael Dyer will lead the Tigers on offense as they try to control the clock. Arkansas and Bobby Petrino likes to get up and down the field and especially with those receivers they have. Jarius Wright is just a beast and creates match up nightmares all over the field with his blend of size and speed. That not even mentioning Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Cobi Hamilton. Wilson just has too many targets and I think last weeks performance from the Auburn defense was more of the product of poor play from Stephen Garcia. Wilson will have no such let down so I will roll with the Razorbacks on this one. The Pick: Arkansas

Game of the Week: Texas vs. Oklahoma: Anytime the Red River Shootout is on the schedule its makes for an easy pick. This game will be closer than most expect as I stated earlier. Who knows maybe Texas can even spring the upset but even if they don’t it makes for an interesting game seeing Longhorn and Sooner fans interact. You can see the disdain for each other as they are entering the stadium and when the drinks get flowing the crowd will be rocking.

Most Intriguing Game: Nebraska vs. Ohio State: This sounds like it should a candidate for game of week or even of the year in most seasons. Unfortunately this isn’t your granddads Buckeye teams as they have just been horrific on offense this year. To add to there misery, they got word from the NCAA that RB Dan Herren and WR Devier Posey would has additional game added to there suspensions. Nebraska can’t be that happy either after getting it handed to them last week by Wisconsin. I think its intriguing because it’s the second game in the Big 10 for the Huskers after their baptism by fire last week. They should come out much more relaxed and run away in this one but Ohio State still has playmakers on defense so we will see what happens here.

Under the radar game: Arizona State (4-1) vs. Utah (2-2). Lets take a trip out west for a showdown in the Pac-12. If the Sun Devils can get by Utah then the schedule opens up nicely for them to make a run at the Pac-12 title. If they lose this will, it would make things much harder than it has to be.

Wake me when it over game: Lousiana Tech (1-4) vs. Idaho (1-4) – Both have lost three in a row and rank in the bottom tier of offense and defense. So no good offense to watch against bad defenses, sounds like a classic snoozer to me.

Coach better get it right game; Boston College (1-4) vs. Clemson (5-0) – Tom O’Brien is a good coach who has fallen on hard times with BC. He has a chance to show that his team is still somewhat relevant against the Tigers. He has to be on the hot seat after a miserable season last year and an even worse one this year. Good luck to him but I don’t see how he lasts past this year as their head coach but it he was to start a run to keep his job this would be the perfect game to start.

I also will be covering the Tennessee State vs. Southeast Missouri State game this weekend, so if your going to game make sure to holler at me.

Sportaholic College Football Weekend Setup

Last weekend was a great array of games including some of the best finishes we will probably see all season. And this Saturday will be even better as there are quite a few statement games on the docket. Florida State vs. Oklahoma of course will be the marquee game of the day as Bob Stoops and #1 ranked Sooners travel to Tallahassee to face the 5th ranked Seminoles. If Florida State is truly looking to join the elite again, then they have every opportunity to do so this Saturday. The annual Tennessee-Florida tilt is a little more exciting this year as UT features a fearless passing attack led by Tyler Bray K-47. This is always one of my favorite games of the year as a SEC fan. It’s the first real test for both teams and the outcome could determine the fate of the SEC East race. The Miami vs. Ohio State game could be called the ineligible bowl (What? You thought about that as well) as everyone who watches college football knows of all the allegations facing both programs, but even with that cloud hanging over this game the talent of the field will be evident. Other good games include Auburn at Clemson, Arizona State vs. Illinois, and Boise State vs. Toledo. All of these games should have a bit of intrigue to them as the college football season finally kicks it into overdrive. Many teams will be tested this week to enjoyment of the fans.

Now for the breakdown of the weekend’s best games:

#1 Oklahoma vs. #5 Florida State – This is the game to watch for obvious reasons this weekend. Florida State hasn’t played a game of this grandeur since 2004 when they faced #6 Virginia (Yeah, you read that right Virginia was ranked #6, surprised me to) and put a beat down on them 36-3. To win this game the Seminoles can not have anything close to the showing they had last year in Norman. Landry Jones absolutely carved them up throwing for 380 yards and 4 touchdowns and his favorite target in the 47-17 massacre was Ryan Broyles caught 12 passes for 124 yards and 1 touchdown. FSU of course is much improved since then as they brought in one of the best recruiting classes in the nation and added a lot more depth in their secondary. The ‘Noles will need to control the clock with their stable of running backs including James Wilder, Chris Thompson, Devonta Freeman or even B.J Manuel who will get his fair share of runs. Speaking of Manuel, he presents a different type of animal then what Oklahoma faced last year with Christian Ponder. The athletically gifted Manuel can do a lot more things out of the pocket and could hurt the defense when he improvises to find open receivers. Manuel has been good taking care of the ball this year as well as he only has two interceptions. As far as the Sooners offense, I believe they have the most balanced team in the nation with the emergence of Dominique Whaley who had a couple of Sportscenter-esque runs. This game has a chance to be a shootout as both teams can put up numbers on offense. If it does come down to this, I have to go with Oklahoma due to the balance of their offense as I stated earlier but it will be much closer than last year’s score. Prediction: Oklahoma

Tennessee vs. Florida – This is my personal favorite game every season because of the tradition that it has. The winner of this game has went on to win the SEC East in 12 of the 19 years of the SEC. The rivalry has fallen on hard times as UT was not completive over the last few seasons but low and behold they have finally got back up. Their offense features maybe the top passing trio in the SEC with Bray, Rogers, and Hunter. Bray has been brilliant this season so far going 51/65 for 698 yards 7 Td passes no interceptions and a 78.5 completion rate. Bray has two great targets in Da’Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter. Both are big, strong, physical receivers who can catch the ball on anyone. Florida will get its first real game for new coach Will Muschamp and his team will get a boost as beast defensive linemen Shariff Floyd comes back from suspension to join the team. Florida’s defense is the strength of the team this year as the have the #1 scoring defense in the nation. The Gators front 7 is as good as it gets in college football with Jaye Howard, Ronald Powell and the aforementioned Floyd. The only weakness it appears to have is in its secondary as they feature two freshman cornerbacks. That has to scare the bejesus out of Muschamp as Bray comes to town. The Florida offense has relied heavily on its two headed monster of Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps to provide explosive plays with their speed. They have been up to the task so far but against far less competition. Jeff Brantley has played solid for the Gators so far this season but nothing spectacular in Charlie Weis’s new pro style offense. Speaking of nothing spectacular Tennessee’s defense has been decent so far this year but they will challenged early and often with the Gators two speedy running backs. The Vols haven’t been strong on the defensive line particularly this year as they don’t have the horses you need to shore up that issue. Malik Jackson has been the team’s most disruptive player on defense but he can’t do it all himself. This game will come down to the two teams strengths which for Tennessee is offense and for Florida is defense. Bray should be able to attack the Gators secondary if he gets enough time. Florida’s defensive line is the as disruptive a line as you will find and will try to touch Bray as much as they can. The ex-factor in this game will be Taurean Poole. If he can gain enough yards to keep the Gators defense honest then UT will be able to throw the ball on them. I think Bray will be in for a shell shock moment when he hears the crowd in the swamp but eventually will lead UT to the win. Florida’s offense just doesn’t seem to have the firepower to this year. Prediction: Tennessee

Miami vs. Ohio State – The ineligible bowl will be played in Miami this year and the Canes are looking for some revenge from last years defeat. I won’t even say the easy jokes and punch lines that come with this one. Ohio State narrowly escaped Toledo last week as they had to play a full game to defeat the Rockets. Miami on the other hand lost altogether to Maryland and those hideous uniforms 24-32. The good thing for the ‘Canes is that they will be getting back starters QB Jacory Harris (Don’t know if that a good thing or bad thing), LB Sean Speance, DT Marcus Fortson, DE Adwale Ojomo, and WR Travis Benjamin. Harris wasn’t very good last year when the two teams faced off in Columbus as he threw four interceptions. But that was last years Buckeyes defense, anyone who saw them against Toledo knows that the Hurricanes should have a few open windows to throw in. The Buckeyes have been doing well in the run stop department as they have only allowed 81 yards so far this season but will be tested by the underrated Miami RB Lamar Miller. Ohio State’s offense isn’t the prettiest thing to watch but it’s effective. Senior Joe Bauserman and freshman Braxton Miller provide a 1-2 punch of sorts with Bauserman usually starting and the Buckeyes running a separate package for the more athletically gifted Miller. The run game is always the name of the game in Columbus and this year Carlos Hyde (33 carries 169 yards 2 Tds) and Rod Smith (25 carries 98 yards 1 Td) have been toting the rock for the Buckeyes this year. This game comes down to if the Buckeye defense can force Harris into the same type of mistakes he made last year. Hurricanes new coach Al Golden anointed Harris the starter coming back off suspension and he needs to show the coach was right in picking him. I believe the Hurricanes will finally stand up and take back some of their dignity this game. Prediction: Miami

Game of the Week – Florida State vs. Oklahoma: This one was easy this week. Anytime you have the #1 team taking on the #5 team then more than likely that’s going to be your marquee match-up. The hype has been building all week for these two teams. Can the Seminoles re-assert themselves as a major player in the college football world or can the Boomer Sooners reinforce their hold as the #1 ranked team in all the land?

Rivalry Game – BYU vs. Utah: As much as I want to go Tennessee-Florida here, Louisville-Kentucky, or even Colorado vs. Colorado State, I have to pay homage to the holy war of BYU vs. Utah. This game is usually played later in November on rivalry week but because of Utah switching to the Pac-12 they had to move up the date. Both teams are coming off tough losses and would love none other but to put the other on a two game losing skid. This one has all the makings of a great game.

Most Intriguing game - Penn State vs. Temple: Joe Pa and co will have a tougher than expected test against the Owls this year. Temple leads the nation in sacks with 11 so far and will look to get pressure on Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin. The Nittany Lions are 36-3-1 all time against Temple but a lot of experts are saying this one will won’t be easy. We shall see this Saturday.

Under the radar game – West Virginia vs. Maryland: This should be a fun one for all you offensive minded fans. Maryland coming off their victory over Miami and the big controversy over those uniforms welcomes in a West Virginia team that likes to light up the scoreboard. West Virginia has won five in a row over the Terps and haven’t but that means nothing at this point.

Wake when its over game – Miami of Ohio vs. Minnesota: It really sucks that I have to choose this game after the situation that Gophers coach Jerry Kill suffered against USC last weekend. He appears to be ok and will be on the sidelines for this one. As far as the game itself, you have yourself have a Miami of Ohio team that has lost their last 14 non-conference road games and Minnesota who hasn’t beaten anyone of recognition it seems in forever. This one will be a snooze fest and the Big Ten Network is only covering this game because it has to.

Coach better get it right game – Kentucky vs. Louisville: I will lay off of Mark Richt this week as he has enough problems as it is. Kentucky has looked awful in its two wins with an inept offense this year. Head Coach Joker Phillips’ team needs to show some fire for the Wildcat faithful to prove he is the man for the job. No better time to for that than when arch rival Louisville and coach Charlie Strong steps onto the field. Three of the past four meetings have been decided by 7 points or less so this should be a good one.

Sportaholic College Football Finale

In a word, wow is all I can say about this past weekend of college football. One of the best slates of finishes we’ve seen in awhile. Mississippi State and Auburn played one of the wackiest games you will see with a stop at the goal line finish. Notre Dame had every opportunity to put away Denard Robinson and Michigan at the Big House and couldn’t do it. South Carolina scored in some of the most unconventional ways to defeat Georgia as the seat continues to warm under Mark Richt and Tyler Bray of the Tennessee Vols showed why many think he is the best sophomore QB in the game with his performance against Cincinnati.

Just a great weekend to be a college football fan as it seemed every marquee game had a great finish. The teams that are at the top will face even tougher opposition this week so the games should only get better. One thing I noticed the most this weekend was the lack of defense on most teams. QBs were chucking the ball all over the place in many games and the defenses were defenseless in defending them.

Now its time to breakdown the weekends top games:

Michigan 35 Notre Dame 31 – Now if your going to have your first night game at the big house, this is the way you want it to go down. Denard Robinson led Michigan to a scintillating comeback that saw him throw 2 touchdowns and an on his final three drives. He capped the game with a 16-yard strike to Ray Roundtree with 2 seconds left to lift the Wolverines to victory. Notre Dame was actually the team out the gates that looked as if it would run all over the Wolverines, as their first two drives led to touchdowns. QB Tommy Rees was sharp most of the game as he threw for 315 yards going 27-39 and 3 TD passes in the process. But Rees also had two costly interceptions and the Fighting Irish couldn’t stop the Michigan offense at all in the second half. Rees threw a 29-yard pass to Theo Riddick with 30 seconds left as Notre Dame looked to seal their first victory of the year, only to have Robinson connect with Jeremy Gallon on a wide open pass that got the Wolverines in field goal range. Instead of going for the FG that would have tied the game, Robinson took a shot at the end zone and found Roundtree for the game winner. This is the first time Michigan has beaten the Irish three times in a row since 1908. The teams rolled up the offense as they combined for 965 yards of total yards. Robinson completed only 11 passes good for 338 yards or over 30 yards a completion if you want to look at it that way. The Big House lived up to its billing in its first primetime game.

Auburn 41 Mississippi State 34 – So much for Auburn being overrated huh? The Tigers found a way to pull out a SEC slugfest as they outlasted the Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare stadium. This was another down to the wire game that saw its share of offense. Auburn jumped all over the Miss. State with a pair of quick TDs in the first from Michael Dyer on a burst of 35-yards and an interception return to take the quick 14-0 lead. The Bulldogs would come storming back and tie the game as LaDarius Perkins had a 40-yard burst of his own for a score and Chris Reif vindicated himself from his earlier Int as he found Brandon Heaven for 15-yard Td pass. It really got crazy in the 2nd quarter as the two teams traded touchdowns back and forth and ended the half with Auburn up 31-24. Vick Ballard and Chris Reif begin to pound the Tigers defense in the 2nd half as Ballard finished with 106 yards on 21 rushes. Reif was basically on the same pace as he finished with 106 yards on 27 carries. Not to be outdone, Tigers running back Michael Dyer finished with 150 yards but it was the last play of the game that saw the Auburn defense stop Reif on the hard yard line to seal the game. “We didn’t come up with the big inch,” he said. “I should have made the play.” One of the best finishes in a game you will see this year.

South Carolina 45 Georgia 42 – Another high scoring affair in the SEC that quite frankly we’re not use to seeing in the ultra physical and defensive conference. The Gamecocks got two unusual touchdowns from defensive end Melvin Ingram. The burly 276 pounder rumbled 68 yards for a touchdown on a fake punt and also recovered a fumble and took it to the house for the short score. Those two scores proved to be the difference as Georgia falls to 0-2 this season. Marcus Lattimore continued his dark horse Heisman campaign as he rushed for 175 tough yards on 27 yards. Even top freshman Jadeveon Clowney got in on the act as he burst through the line unblocked and slung Georgia QB Andy Murray to the ground causing him to fumble. That led to one of Ingram’s touchdowns as he batted it toward the end zone and took it in for a TD. Georgia did look impressive on offense as Andy Murray threw form 248 yards and four scores and running back Isaiah Crowell racked up 118 yards but it wasn’t enough to overcome its 3 turnovers. The Gamecocks take the early lead in the SEC East race.

Other notable games and players:

Tyler Bray of Tennessee: Bray just performed surgery on the Cincinnati Bearcats defense going 34-41 for 405 yards and 4 TD passes. He along with receivers Justin Hunter (10 catches 156 yards 1 TD) and Da’rick Rogers (10 catches and 100 yards 2 TDs) are beginning to form a devastating passing attack for the Vols. Bray can make all the throws and Hunter and Rogers are big physical receivers who can make all the catches. It will be fun to see how these sophomores develop as they could form the best passing trio in UT’s storied history. They will have there stiffest test yet when they face Florida this weekend. Game on.

Alabama’s defense: These guys have the resemblance of a NFL caliber defense. On a weekend of wild offensive outbursts, the Tide flexed their muscle and absolutely pounded Penn. State into submission defensively. Bama just comes at you in waves as they are deep and talented. If you watched most of the games on Saturday, there was a noticeable lack of defense in most games. You won’t have to worry about that when you watch the Tide play as they have standouts Dre Kiltpatrick, Mark Barron and Dont’a Hightower just to name a few. Alabama is allowing 1.8 yards per run and 2.8 yards per pass. Their offense seems to rely on Trent Richardson too much as A.J. McCarron continues to learn but as long as that defense shows up they will win a lot of games.

Mark Richt coaching future: The Bulldogs have to go a 7 or 8 game winning streak including a win over Florida to possibly save the longest tenured coach in the SEC job at this point. Georgia did look much improved against South Carolina but they still had far too mistakes. Richt tried to get his team’s attention this year by scheduling maybe the hardest first two games of the year for any team as they faced #4 Boise State and then #11 South Carolina, but his plan may have backfired as the young Bulldogs seem to need more seasoning before they can start to do some damage. Hopefully Richt’s job status won’t be a distraction going forward for Georgia but it more than likely will.

Texas Longhorn QBs Case McCoy and David Ash: Garrett Gilbert has been giving every opportunity to show his talents in Austin and he finally got the leash against BYU after throwing a pair of interceptions. Enter in Case McCoy and David Ash and the two went a combined 9-11 for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Gilbert short lived days of starting Texas QB may be over with his latest poor performance.

And that does it for the Sportaholic College Football Finale. Make sure to check back this week as chronicle the top games for the upcoming week including Oklahoma vs. Florida State and Tennessee vs. Florida.

Sportaholic College Football Preview: Tennessee Volunteers

College Football is just around the corner with the first games scheduled on September 1. So with that in mind, we here at the Sportaholic.com figured it was about time to rev up the college football machine and review some local team in our area. With our expanded roster, we now can cover teams from all over the nation but we will start with our home teams. Each week leading up to the season we will have capsules on the University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University, and Tennessee State University. We will follow those teams with some of the national powers as well, just to make sure we cover all of our bases.

To start things off, we will ask just a few basic questions on each team as: Offense, Defense, What are their strengths, What are their weaknesses, Who will be their impact player and What do you project as their season outlook just to name a few. We love college athletics here at the Sportaholic and this just one of many college football posts we have awaiting our viewers this season. So sit back and relax as we here at the Sportaholic preview some of your favorite teams from all over the nation.

University of Tennessee

By Carlos Paige

1. Offense - Tennessee’s offense will revolve around sophomore stud Tyler Bray as he looks to build off an impressive freshman campaign. Bray was 125 of 224 while throwing for 1,849 yards and 18 touchdowns last year. He won SEC freshmen of the week honors three of the four weeks he started last season as well, throwing for more than 300 yards in four games. So you can see why UT fans are antsy to see what Bray can do in a full season of work. Coach Derek Dooley just wants to see more consistency from his QB. The Vols also return 1,000 yard rusher Taurean Poole, who gained those yards running under a inexperienced offensive line. The line should be much improved after a year of experience under their belt, especially young players like Ju'Wuan James, Zach Fulton and James Stone, who all started as true freshman at one point or another last season. Look for sophomore Raijon Neal to take the load off Poole as he did last year and is a good second option for the Vols. 4-star incoming Freshman Marlin Lane has also received a lot praise this spring, as some have even compared him to former UT great Jamal Lewis, so expect for him to steal a few carries from Poole and Neal as well. The receiving core took a couple of big losses in Gerald Jones and Denairus Moore but it opens the door for two talented sophomores in Justin Hunter and Da’Rick Rogers. Both showed flashes of becoming the next great at the school formally known as Wide Receiver U. Hunter is a just a freakish athlete who made multiple spectacular catches and averaged an unheard of 25.9 his freshman year. Rogers, who was more heralded than Hunter coming out of high school, has NFL size and measurables already and made his mark on the offense last year with his versatility. When you add incoming 4-star recruit DeAnthony Arnett in the mix and possibly at the slot receiver, than you have the makings of an explosive effense.

2. Defense – It was tough to watch sometimes for the Vols defense last year, as they lacked the physical bruisers on the interior of the defensive line that you need when you play in the ultra physical SEC. As a result, they allowed 25.1 ppg and 382.2 total ypg in 2010, in other words this was a bad defense. They still face that problem this year as DT Malik Jackson is the only proven big man for the Vols, but they did snag the 2nd rated JUCO defensive tackle in the nation with Maurice Couch. A lot will be riding of the contributions of Couch and converted offensive linemen Daniel Thomas as Tennessee’s much maligned defensive front tries to raise its level of play from last year. The ends will be anchored by Jacques Smith, Willie Bohannon and Marlon Walls who all have experience but will receive expansive time at the position. The linebacker core took a big loss as Junior Herman Lathers suffered an ankle injury that will sideline for a few weeks. He was the teams most experienced player at that position, recording 75 tackles last year. In Lathers absence, seniors Daryl Vereen and Austin Johnson will finally get their shots at starting. They will most likely be joined by one of the two impressive freshman coming into the fray, A.J Johnson and Curt Magiit. The coaches have raved about Magiit as he has wowed everyone in spring practice. He has been exceptional in playing either from the 2.0 stance or the 3.0 and could serve as the all important edge rusher for the Vols. He could also provide depth for the defensive line. The most impressive unit for the Vols has to be the secondary. After a tumultuous off-season, Janzen Jackson returned to bolster an already strong unit. When you couple Jackson with, sophomore Brent Brewer and Prentiss Wagoner at the safety positions then you can see why it should be one the better secondary’s in all of the country. Dooley also recruited well in that department as he landed speedster Justin Coleman and former USC player and transfer Byron Moore. Both of them should push incumbents Marsalis Teague and Eric Gordon for playing time. If the defensive front can at least hold their own, then this could be a surprisingly good defensive unit.

3. What are the team’s strengths? It has to be their athleticism at wideout with Justin Hunter and Da’Rick Rogers. These two will be beasts as they have the size and speed to create problems all over the field. Tyler Bray has a gunslinger mentality so they will have plenty of opportunities. You also can’t forget incoming freshman DeAnthony Arnett at the slot position as his speed will offer a counter to the size of the outside receivers. The Vols will be able to create multiple mismatches with these guys and if they face an inferior secondary then you can forget about it, as Big Orange should put up huge numbers on them.

4. Who are the team impact players? Tyler Bray and Malik Jackson. Both players are the leaders on their respective sides of the ball for the Vols. A lot is expected from Bray after his sensational freshman campaign. And to be realistic he has to be even better than he was last year when there wasn’t any film on him besides his high school days to study. Bray has the chance to follow in the footsteps of the great Peyton Manning as he has all the tools to become that good. His learning curve and ability to lead this team could be the difference in a 6-6 year or a 8-4 year. Malik Jackson is the lone starter on a defensive line that was mediocre at best. The USC transfer produced the most for the Vols recording 5 sacks and 19 tackles as he was named to the AP All-SEC Second Team. He has to be the leader for that unit as they hope to improve to at least average this year in the SEC.

5. What is the team weakness? It has to be the defensive line. The Vols ranked ninth out of twelve teams in the SEC in total defense last year, they were 60th in the nation with 26.0 sacks, and 60th again in the nation in rushing defense. Those numbers will not cut it for a winning club. The Vols as we all know have their problems up front and its difficult to fathom a team that has had greats like Reggie White and Albert Haynesworth (At least while he was in college) now having trouble landing the big time recruits for big men. Hopefully junior college transfer Maurice Couch can provide any type of contribution to Malik Jackson and that would help improve this unit's performance from last year.

6. Season projection and predicted record: I have seen some projections that the Vols will finish second to last in the SEC East and some actually have them winning the East. I say it’s somewhere in-between with this current version of the Vols. I believe this team is good enough to win 8 games this year. It will all depend on how they play early and especially what they do in their first real test of the season versus Florida. If they go out and defeat the Gators, then the season could gain momentum and be a good one. The Vols could be 4-0 entering October, but thats when the real meat and potatoes of the schedule hits Rocky Top. The Vols have one of the toughest stretches for any team in college football as they face Georgia, LSU, Alabama, and South Carolina in consecutive weeks in the month of October. That tough spell will truly test the Vols will. If they could win at least 1 or 2 of those games and finish strong in November as they always do, then they could be on their way to a New Year’s Day bowl game. Realistically, I see the Vols winning 7 games, which will be just the next stepping stone in the rebuilding of the program under Derek Dooley.