Stack-Ups: You Know What I Like About {Blank} Edition

Ivory Tower — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:00:11 -0000

We all know what makes him happy.

RUNNING BACKS. Hit the hole.

In a league that is, generally, proud of its defenses, I submit to you that there is only one position about which every team in the SEC West is, at least, satisfied - and that position is running backs. Moreover, I think it is no stretch to say that every team in the SEC West ought to be excited about its running backs (a position which has held remarkably true in recent history). Every team except the Rebels return at least one player who has recorded 800 or more yards in a previous season. Arkansas and LSU return 1,000 yard rushers. And of 2008's Top 10 backs in the SEC, all five returning are from the SEC's Western Division. The division is a Brandon Bolden breakout season away from potentially having a 1,000 yard back at every school. To-wit:

ALABAMA

Running behind a depleted, but still talented offensive line will be, likely, Mark Ingram with a more than sufficient back-up in Terry Grant. Ingram complemented Glen Coffee's thousand-yard effort with 728 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 5.1 per carry. Julio Jones is the sophomore about which all Tiders rave, however, a solid season by Ingram is that thing which will draw defenses away from Jones.

ARKANSAS

Michael Smith returns with more yards per game than any other back in the conference at 107.2 (which is only a hair behind the overall 2008 leader, Knowshon Moreno, at 107.8). In 2008, The Cup predicted Arkansas to trail its Western brethren in rushing prowess. Technically, this was a fairly accurate assesment, since the rest of the team only average 6.3 rushing yards per game. With the offense figuring to focus on Ryan Mallett's arm, Smith, who tore a hamstring against Mississippi State but was recently declared "one hundred percent," might take a step back this season. Even if he doesn't, the 'Hogs will need true freshman Knile Davis to be his complement, and this writer is not in the business of relying on true freshmen.

AUBURN

Someone can likely find where this writer predicted high times for Auburn when its backs had the ball in 2008. That never, so much, panned out. Blame Tony Franklin, it's what everyone else is doing. Between Brad Lester, Mario Fannin, and Ben Tate, it seemed that Auburn would find a go-to guy, but they never did. Now, Fannin and Tate are back (now coached by The Great Malzahn) with a feel that is not quite McCluster/Davis or McFadden/Jones, but certainly some talent and the odds-on-favorite to be the centerpiece of the War Eagle offense. If nothing else, Ben Tate ought to be able to handle a lot of carries en route to a yeoman's millenial mark, while Fannin provides some occasional spark.

LSU

Charles Scott stormed the SEC in the first half of 2008, but cooled off down the stretch, leaving ~~many~~ ~~some~~ apparently nobody wondering if he will again rush for 1,000 yards. This team also still has notable Orgeron almost Keiland Williams on the bench, either of whom will be running behind Ciron Black, the First Team All-SEC Left Tackle. But Scott earned 10, 28, and 65 yards in his last three games. Makes me wonder if somebody else will be taking the carries for the haberdasher in '09.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

I have great scorn for Anthony Dixon. It all started in 2007 when Dixon, after a decent game in a win over Ole Miss, was invited to the Conerly Trophy presentation along with Titus Brown, who ought to have won, and Southern Miss doofus Damien Fletcher, who did actually win. Thus, Benjarvus Green-Ellis was deprived of a meaningless honor (that last season went to a quarterback from Millsaps over two first-round draft picks) his senior season, and I was bitter. Still am. Also, Anthony Dixon is ugly. He will, though, I expect, rush for over 1,000, lending credence to the oft-repeated misconception that offense exists in Starkville.

OLE MISS

Between Cordera Eason, Enrique Davis, Brandon Bolden, and Dexter McCluster, many of us are excited. We return every bit of the second-ranked rushing attack in 2008. Our offensive line will take a step back, but there is more than enough reason to remain undaunted in your Rebel rushing enthusiasm.

On a conclusory note ...

The SEC West is as stacked in the backfield as it has ever been, even though there is no Cadillac or D-Mac in the group. Making this, perhaps, the most difficult stack-up to guage. Nevertheless, what follows is a best-guess sort:

1. Alabama

2. Ole Miss

3. LSU

4. Mississippi State

5. Auburn

6. Arkansas

So Much for Conference Supremacy: ACC rolls and other Week 14 action

cocknfire — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:33:10 -0000

Not exactly what we had in mind.

If the title of this post has a familiar ring to it, that's intentional. Back in mid-October, after Florida blew LSU out of the water in a 51-21 shellacking, the weekly wrap-up was titled "So Much for Western Supremacy."

As damaging as LSU's loss was to the notion that the SEC West was the stronger half of the league, Saturday's triple defeat at the hands of the ACC was an even worse setback for the idea that the SEC is the best conference in the land. Just moments after South Carolina fell 31-14 to Clemson, Georgia ended a 45-42 loss at the hands of Georgia Tech. Wake Forest's 23-10 victory over Vanderbilt hours later clinched a losing record for the SEC against its neighboring BCS league, a conference that national and local pundits alike had mocked for weeks.

Is the ACC better than the SEC? Probably not. Given the up-again, down-again pattern followed by most of ACC's teams, all three of those games could end differently if the games were played again this week. And the weekend was not the kind of head-to-head match-up that would have seen the top-rated ACC team take on the top-rated SEC team and on down the line.

But the games will not be played this week, and no such SEC-ACC tournament is scheduled. The best conference in America does not go 4-6 against the ACC in a season, nor does it go 1-3 in a weekend. You'll have to look for someone else.

Florida, in the meantime, was Florida. They amassed 502 yards to Florida State's 242, ran the ball 46 for 317 yards (6.9 ypc) and, as usual, had scored enough points by late in the first half (21 at the 5:33 mark) to win the game. The final margin -- 45-15 -- was proof that the Gators are playing on a different plane than anyone else in the SEC, save Alabama.

Not that everything came out the way the Gators had hoped: Percy Harvin is questionable for the SEC Championship Game. Though, as Nick Saban points out, that's not exactly a reason for Alabama to hold a parade.

"They really have three players. ... No. 1 (Harvin), No. 2 (Jeff Demps) and No. 3 (Chris Rainey). It's easy to remember. They're all outstanding players with big-play ability. They also have outstanding receivers and a Heisman-winning quarterback (Tim Tebow). They utilize all those players in different roles.
"Certainly, we respect Percy Harvin as a great player. But they have some other great players, too."

Alabama, for its part, dismantled Auburn 36-0 on Saturday, gaining 412 yards to Auburn's 170, earning 21 first downs to the Tiger's eight and finishing off Auburn's talk of various thumbs and fingers. The most suprising statistics in the game: Mario Fannin's longest rush was for eight yards, as was Brad Lester's. Ben Tate's long run was for three yards. A 13-yard run by Kodi Burns would be the longest run of the day.

There's not much more to explain from this weekend. For the time, at least, the SEC is a two-team league. Those teams will meet Saturday, in the game everyone has anticipated now for weeks. Everything else is detail.

OTHER WEEKEND RECAPS AT TSK:

And Phil Fades Away -- Tennessee 28, Kentucky 10

Thanks for the memories? Doubtful -- Arkansas 31, LSU 30

Where did that come from? Ole Miss 45, Mississippi State 0

Poll

The best conference in the country this year is ...

ACC

15 votes

Big XII

39 votes

Big East

0 votes

Big Ten

1 votes

Pac-10

0 votes

SEC

12 votes

MWC

1 votes

Other mid-major

1 votes

69 votes | Poll has closed

SB Nation - Brad Lester

Stack-Ups: You Know What I Like About {Blank} Edition

So Much for Conference Supremacy: ACC rolls and other Week 14 action

The best conference in the country this year is ...

ACC

Big XII

Big East

Big Ten

Pac-10

SEC

MWC

Other mid-major