SB Nation - Rennie Curran

All-SEC Ballot: Draft

Gamecock Man — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:04:08 -0000

The SEC Power Poll is hosting an All-SEC poll. Here is a draft that reflects my first impressions--let me know what you think, and we may revise a bit if necessary.

Offense

QB: Ryan Mallett (Arkansas Razorbacks)

RB: Mark Ingram (Alabama Crimson Tide)

RB: Dexter McCluster (Ole Miss Rebels)

OG: Mike Johnson (Alabama Crimson Tide)

OG: Mike Pouncey (Florida Gators)

OT: Ciron Black (LSU Tigers)

OT: John Jerry (Ole Miss Rebels)

C: Maurkice Pouncey (Florida Gators)

TE: Aaron Hernandez (Florida Gators)

WR: A.J. Green (Georgia Bulldogs)

WR: Shay Hodge (Ole Miss Rebels)

Defense

DE: Cliff Matthews (South Carolina Gamecocks)

DE: Antonio Coleman (Auburn Tigers)

DT: Terrence Cody (Alabama Crimson Tide)

DT: Malcolm Sheppard (Arkansas Razorbacks)

LB: Eric Norwood (South Carolina Gamecocks)

LB: Rolando McClain (Alabama Crimson Tide)

LB: Rennie Curran (Georgia Bulldogs)

CB: Javier Arenas (Alabama Crimson Tide)

CB: Patrick Peterson (LSU Tigers)

S: Eric Berry (Tennessee Volunteers)

S: Joe Haden (Florida Gators)

Special Teams

PK: Blair Walsh (Georgia Bulldogs)

P: Drew Butler (Georgia Bulldogs)

RS: Javier Arenas (Alabama Crimson Tide)

You've got some explaining to do...

Many of these choices go without questions; nobody, for instance, will disagree with me about Mark Ingram, Rolando McClain, or Eric Berry. However, I do have a few bones to pick with conventional wisdom. Here's how I see such cases:

Ryan Mallett / Tim Tebow

As most people around here know, I'm a pretty big Tebow fan. The guy has had a great career, and although his sanctimonious, humble-but-really-not attitude can get to you sometimes, overall I don't have too many problems with him as a media phenomenon. It is what is. However, while I've been as guilty as anyone when it comes to giving Tebow confidence by inertia, I've come to believe it has to stop somewhere: Mallett was just better this year.

By the way, Ryan, if you're reading this, go to the NFL.

Dexter McCluster / Anthony Dixon

OK. I believe Anthony Dixon had a better year than McCluster at RB. However, I also believe that McCluster was one of the best and most valuable players in the SEC. I'm talking about on a par with Tebow, Ingram, you name it. So, I think we have to get him on the list somewhere. This is where I'm putting him. Unfortunately for him, McCluster was probably never used in the right way enough; this guy really was a minor Reggie-Bush-like talent.

Cliff Matthews / Carlos Dunlap

Dunlap is a jackass that showed his true colors when he signed with Florida instead of Sou...wait, when he drunkenly fell asleep at the wheel before the biggest SECCG ever. He failed his team. Despite his talent, that failure will always make him worse than Matthews in my mind.

Rennie Curran / Brandon Spikes

What can I say? I know it's surprising to see an UGA player on the defensive first team, but I think Curran is a great player. That might have something to do with his success against USC, but whatever. If this guy had a halfway decent DC, he'd be the talk of the nation. Spikes is a great player, but he's also a cog in a machine to some degree.

Well, that's a wrap on this draft. Let me know what you think.

Georgia Bulldogs Punter Drew Butler Is Not Just Another Guy

T Kyle King — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:03:24 -0000

I was gently (and fairly) chided in the comments for failing to mention this fact, but the second-best Bulldog specialist in the Butler family is now officially the best punter in the country, as Drew Butler has brought home the Ray Guy Award.

Butler, the son of Hall of Fame placekicker Kevin Butler, consistently drew praise in Dawg Sports comment threads as one of the three best players on the 2009 Georgia squad. (Drew was deemed the Bulldogs' best special teams player while A.J. Green on offense and Rennie Curran on defense were regarded as the top players on their respective units.)

While we were glad to see Drew take the night off against Georgia Tech, all of us in Bulldog Nation were proud of his performance, as the Red and Black punter was one of the few consistent bright spots of the autumn.

No word yet on whether any Georgia fans plan to name a son "Drew" in Butler's honor, although I have a five-year-old nephew named Drew, and I plan to tell him he was named after the Bulldog punter and hope the boy is bad at math.

Congratulations, Drew Butler.

Go 'Dawgs!

Huskers' Ndamukong Suh - Lombardi Award Finalist

Jon Johnston — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:42:03 -0000

Earlier today, the Rotary Club of Houston announced the Lombardi Award Finalists. Since 1970, the Lombardi Award has been presented to college football's top lineman (offense or defense).

The 12 semifinalists are (in alphabetical order):

Terrence Cody, Alabama, NG, #62, Sr., 6-5, 365, Ft. Myers, FL
Rennie Curran, Georgia, LB, #35, Jr., 5-11, 228, Snellville, GA
Carlos Dunlap, Florida, DE, #8, Jr., 6-6, 290, North Charleston, SC
Jerry Hughes, TCU, DE, #98, Sr., 6-3, 257, Sugar Land, TX
Rolando McClain, Alabama, LB, #25, Jr., 6-4, 258, Decatur, AL
Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma, #93, DT, Jr., 6-4, 297, Oklahoma City, OK
Eric Norwood, South Carolina, LB, #40, Sr., 6-1, 252, Acworth, GA
Russell Okung, Oklahoma State, LT, #76, Sr., 6-5, 300, Houston, TX
George Selvie, South Florida, DE, #95, Sr., 6-4, 250, Pensacola, FL
Brandon Spikes, Florida, LB, #51, Sr., 6-3, 258, Shelby, NC
Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, DT, #93, Sr., 6-4, 300, Portland, OR
Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri, LB, #12, Sr., 6-2, 245, Jasper, TX

Lane Kiffin gets the first notch in his belt

Will — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:00:21 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

"Alright, I'm going to pretend like I was expecting this from you all along, okay? Just go with it."

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In our Rocky Top Tennessee preseason annual, Josh McNeil said "Football is not fun if you lose. Period." It's a sentiment we can all relate to, especially in the last two years. And especially for McNeil, who added injury to insult in fall camp, probably lost millions of NFL dollars along the way and worst of all, appeared to have lost the ability to play football at all.

That's the same Josh McNeil we saw on the field in the waning moments today, with his hands on the football once more and, presumably, a smile on his face. For more than one reason. Because as little fun as we had all of last season, today was a welcome reminder that when you win - and you win like this - football is fun. Really, really fun.

The fact that we had the luxury of getting McNeil on the field at all is a good place to start. Because I always enjoy the games where you can't decide what you're most excited about:

The first big win for Lane Kiffin

Last year, the Vols suffered the most frustrating competitive loss in recent memory against Auburn, and were more or less noncompetitive in the rest of the big SEC games, losing by 20+ to Florida, Alabama and South Carolina. Plus, the Vols gave up 458 yards to Georgia and ran for one total yard themselves in a 26-14 loss.

This year, it's been competitive, but up until today that was all. We were close against Florida. Close against UCLA. We made it close at the end against Auburn. There was reason for hope.

But we needed more than hope. This program hadn't won a big game in two years, and Lane Kiffin needed a reason to be believed besides his work behind a microphone and in the living room on the recruiting trail.

The Clawfense was our hope once. But when it never became tangible, the players never had a reason to fully buy in, and that hope eventually collapsed and took everyone down with it. Phillip Fulmer's inability to keep the snowball from rolling downhill by winning a big game was the final nail in his coffin last season.

Kiffin was next in line to give us hope. But unlike last season, today he and the Vols got a return on that investment. A big one.

Any win would've been huge today. But the how of it all, in a 45-19 game that could've/should've been 45-3 if you remove special teams from the equation, gives Kiffin his big first win, and gives him something to hang his hat on. Now we've seen it, now we know for sure that this can work - players, fans, everyone. That's not to say that Kiffin is going to have success here forever, but when you win like that in your first year against one of your biggest rivals, you earn a whole lot of trust. Tennessee needed to win one of these big SEC games in the worst way. And turns out, we won in the very best way.

Georgia got 458 yards of offense last year. This year they got 241. Tennessee had 1 rushing yard last year. This year we got 162. And if you liked the running game...

Willie Martinez overtakes Jonathan Crompton for the "Most Likely to be Hated by His Own Fanbase" Award

At halftime, I told my friend next to me in Z11 that I didn't want to see Crompton's numbers. There was a Raiders of the Lost Ark feel about it - "Shut your eyes! Don't look at it!" - because what #8 did in the first half was so totally unnatural, I feared that seeing 12 of 15 for 205 yards and 3 TDs and then having my brain try to comprehend it might, in fact, make my face melt off.

Then in the second half, when the dreaded tipped ball pick six reared its ugly head and Georgia was right in the middle of one of those games it seems like that team always wins - statistically overmatched, but in it thanks to special teams and defensive touchdowns - Crompton went right back to work.

Let's take nothing away from him. That offensive performance was stunning, and he deserves every ounce of credit for his role in it. So do the receivers for catching almost everything - eight different Vols caught passes, and Gerald Jones gave us the type of go-to performance we've been waiting for with 105 yards and 2 TDs.

So does Montario Hardesty, for giving every defense a reason to be vulnerable to play action, and for continuing to be the best running back in the SEC.

Having said all of that...Georgia's defense? Yikes.

It's the biggest difference between on-paper and on-field I can remember in a long time. You looked at the names in August - Prince Miller, Rennie Curran, Geno Atkins, Jeff Owens, Reshad Jones - and figured they'd carry the slack for Joe Cox and the offense. You look at the numbers here in the second weekend of October, and see a defense that's given up 37+ points three times, 400+ yards three times, and made Jon Crompton and Stephen Garcia look like Peyton Manning and (insert good South Carolina quarterback here - Steve Tanneyhill does not count).

T Kyle King was on our podcast last week and said that Georgia's special teams should've taken some of the heat off Martinez after the LSU game. After the Tennessee game, whoever's responsible for special teams needs a raise...unless it's Martinez.

This leads to a larger point:

Georgia reminds me of Tennessee in the last few years of the Fulmer Era

They run a consistent offense that isn't "sexy" and, when it features Joe Cox instead of Matthew Stafford, isn't that consistent. They got a great young coach who brought them more success than they had seen in decades, but who has struggled to maintain that level of success on a consistent basis, and who is fiercely loyal to his assistants, for better or worse. Meanwhile, just as Fulmer watched the SEC go from a two-team race to everyone for themselves, Richt found his early success when Ron Zook was at Florida and the door was revolving in Tuscaloosa. Now the Tide and Gators are a step ahead of everyone else, LSU is still right behind them, and Georgia just got embarrassed by the new kid on the block. And the Dawgs will see the other new kid come November, and Gene Chizik certainly appeared to have Auburn moving in the right direction until Saturday.

And in this little game, Willie Martinez will be playing the role of Randy Sanders.

Between my total shock at Crompton's performance and the small but shared recognition I feel with Georgia fans, I didn't even fully enjoy their suffering in Neyland Stadim today. I still hope they enjoyed the long sad drive back down I-7-5, but you know.

Because we've been there. We've been Georgia. As a friend of mine said in the postgame, we've forded that river and lost two oxen.

I like it much better this way.

Georgia's offense never crossed the Tennessee 30 yard line

...no commentary necessary.

Staying Relevant

In a world where Florida has beaten you five years in a row and won two National Championships in the process, Alabama is back to being Alabama and LSU is also ahead of you, it was absolutely critical for Lane Kiffin to keep Tennessee from slipping any further in the SEC hierarchy.

Beating Georgia was, is, and always will be key for recruiting. By the way, what are the odds Coach O picked up the phone and called Marlon's Granny after the game today?

But it also pays off in the short term: being just the fifth best team in the SEC is still good enough to get you to January 1, and after that performance the conversations about bowl games move from if to where.

And even if I'm too busy feeling Georgia's pain to fully appreciate it the way I'd like to today, it should be noted and remembered that three of the last four years, the Vols have beaten the Dawgs 51-33, 35-14, and 45-19.

So now the bye week comes at the perfect time, as the Vols will carry some spring in their step to Tuscaloosa to face a tremendous challenge. And they'll face it not as a 2-4 team still looking for answers and their first big win, but a 3-3 team that isn't just hoping anymore...now we've seen it. Now we know.

Around the SEC East- Week 5

BrianWalker'sElbow — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:00:41 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2009 file photo, Florida quarterback John Brantley warms up prior to an NCAA college football game against Troy in Gainesville, Fla. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow isn't cleared to play Saturday at LSU, the top-ranked Gators would turn the offense over to John Brantley. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

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The goings on of the rest of the SEC are somewhat difficult to truly follow. Because of the number of times that Juco and I have seen uninformed fans make sweeping judgments of opposing teams based solely on their quarterback and halfback, we decided to start a segment where, though we will talk about halfbacks and quarterbacks, we'll also talk about the other players on teams that are succeeding or failing.

FLORIDA: 4-0 (2-0 SEC)

All eyes on Tebow. The biggest story that has been on the news since September 26th is whether or not he'll play against LSU. Long time back-up John Brantley has been preparing for action. He's been pretty good thus far as he filled in well after Tebow went down with injury. According to Meyer, Tebow will be a gametime decision. They were off last week, so there are no new players to bring up in cup coverage (or cup'erage if you will). They will face the Bayou Bengals in Death Valley at 7 p.m. The game will be aired on CBS.

GEORGIA: 3-2 (2-1 SEC)

LSU? Really? Georgia, quit blaming the excessive celebration penalty for your loss and man up. UGA really fell in my personal power rankings after last week. LSU's D held the Dawg offense to almost nothing until the end of the game. One bright spot for the Georgia D was LB Rennie Curran who had a career high 16 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a half-sack. A.J. Green did his usual thing with 99 yards and a td. How good is this Georgia team? We'll find out more as they travel to Tennessee this weekend. Game airs at 11:21 a.m. CDT on the SEC network.

KENTUCKY: 2-2 (0-2 SEC)

Ken-sucky just cannot compete with the big boys. If they do look like they are keeping their heads above the water, they'll find a way to tie bricks to their feet. In the final minutes of the 2nd quarter against Alabama last week, they went from trailing 7-6 to trailing 21-6 at the half. The bright spots? Umm... Umm... PK Lones Seiber who had two 49-yard field goals. Cobb only gained 21 rushing yards, but Derrick Locke gained 75 yards on 20 carries to lead the Cats. They travel to Columbia to take on the 'Cocks of SC. The game will be on FS South at 11:30 a.m. CDT.

SOUTH CAROLINA: 4-1 (1-1 SEC)

SC had a little bit of a hangover the game last week against South Carolina State. They ended up winning 38-14, but it was a bit close with a 10-0 score at the half. One of the offensive leaders was WR Moe Brown with 6 catches for 100 yards and 2 td's. RB Jarvis Giles, the freshman, rushed for 74 yards on 11 carries. SC probably deserves more respect for beating us on that Thursday night, and they are looking to earn it heading into Saturday's game with Kentucky. As noted above, FS South at 11:30 a.m. CDT.

TENNESSEE: 2-3 (0-2 SEC)

Oh, boy. It seems like so long ago when everyone was giving Lane Kiffin brownie points for his performance in the Swamp. Now, it seems like Girl Scouts could do a better job on offense as they lost 26-22 to Auburn. One of those touchdowns came as the time expired, but it was an overall atrocious performance. Monte Kiffin's defense allowed 459 yards. Ouch. It seems like nothing is right in TN. The future may be bright as RB Montario Hardesty rushed for 90 yards on 21 carries for 1 td. Kiffin gets a chance for a big win with Georgia coming to town. Who knows what this 11:21 a.m. CDT game on SEC Network has in store.

VANDERBILT: 2-3 (0-3 SEC)

The good news: RB Warren Norman had a great performance against us gaining 241 all-purpose yards, including 86 rushing, 143 on kick returns, and 12 receiving yards. The bad news: Vandy still lost. Despite picking off Snead 3 times to gain good field position, the offense only got into the end-zone once. The once dependable Vandy pass defense surrendered 237 yards and 3 td's through the air. Rest is in store for the weary as the annual game against Army comes this week. They'll travel to West Point and play at CBS College Sports at 11 a.m. CDT.

LSU vs. Georgia: A Light-Heavyweight Bout Between Two Teams Hoping to Go Up in Weight Class

Richard Pittman — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:25:44 -0000

More photos » by Rogelio V. Solis - AP

Save the season in 3... 2... wait for it... wait for it... (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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I didn't feel inspired to write anything yesterday, and today is not so easy either. Part of me says, "Let's just watch the game and forget about analyzing it to death before the fact." These are two teams who are not poised for glory, at least not yet, but they can see it from where they stand. They can see the obstacles in their way as well.

Georgia's obstacles are a suspect defense and a decided lack of ball control. Joe Cox, who has been productive as a quarterback with 9 touchdown passes, leads the SEC with 5 interceptions. They have also lost 7 fumbles, to give them 12 turnovers in 4 games, the most in the SEC. Meanwhile, they aren't generating turnovers, giving them a turnover margin of -9 on the season, again worst in the SEC. Their defense is giving up an average of 243 yards per game in the air, though that average is inflated by having given up 408 yards to Arkansas. They held Oklahoma State and Arizona State to reasonable passing yards against.

LSU's obstacles are an offense that isn't firing on all cylinders because the blocking is not there, and an inability to get sacks on the quarterback. We are last in the league in total offense, though we are mid-pack where it really counts in scoring offense. We are last in the league in sacks. Rahim Alem, who has been surprisingly good in my opinion on containing the run, has not been getting to the quarterback the way he should, and we aren't getting enough pressure from the middle. We aren't giving the quarterback all day to throw, but we aren't getting him to the ground enough either.

Yes, both of these teams have weaknesses that, if not corrected, will prevent them from being there at the end of the season. If we don't figure out how to improve our offensive line play, and if Georgia does not figure out how to play more consistently on defense and cut down the turnovers on offense, neither one of these teams will be there when the SEC Championship Game combatants are announced.

But let me be clear. Neither of these teams are bad. Both sit at 2-0 in the conference, and while Georgia needed last-second heroics from Rennie Curran to escape against South Carolina, they got the heroics they needed. While LSU needed last-second heroics from Chad Jones and Ryan Baker to escape against Mississippi State, they got the heroics. They both escaped what would have been very damaging losses and lived to fight another day. Tomorrow is that "other day".

For now, these two flawed teams, neither of whom are in the weight class of the best in the conference (yet), will be playing each other. It is an interesting proving ground for both teams. Two flawed teams, one of whom will stay undefeated in the conference and the other of whom will finally be "exposed" as a pretender.

I choose "exposed" deliberately, and put it in quotes deliberately as well. This is what media members will say after the game, but it is not a completely appropriate description. Both of these teams have been exposed already. Washington and Mississippi State revealed major weaknesses in LSU. South Carolina and Arkansas exposed Georgia. Mediocre play by one team or the other, or both, would not be a big surprise at this point.

Because this is an interdivisional game, it is not a must-win game for either team standings-wise. Both teams will control their own destinies in the divisions they represent regardless of whether they win or lose. However, I think this is an important game for both of these teams beyond its impact in the standings. Both of these teams are beleaguered by fans and media pressing on them, trying to explain or understand why they are not as good as they should be. I believe that whoever loses this game will be damaged by it psychologically and it could lead to a spiraling season.

In parallel, both of these coaches have come under fire. Mark Richt for always coming close to national championship level but not ever quite bringing his team there, and for starting the season slowly this year. Les Miles for a poor 2008 and an anxiety-producing start to the 2009 season. Les Miles, I think, can silence the critics for a while with a win here. I am not so sure Mark Richt can. This is a cross-roads game not only for the teams involved, but for the coaches. They are on somewhat parallel trajectories right now, but one of them is going to break off.

The more I think about this game, the less like a big college football game it feels. It feels more like a fight for survival. Like a loser's bracket game in a double-elimination tournament between two teams that both believe they should be in the winner's bracket. One of these teams gets to continue on and the other is going home. Not literally of course, because the season continues for both teams, with plenty goals still to reach, but I can't shake the feeling that this game marks the end of something. If LSU wins, it marks the end of Georgia as a serious contender in the East, perhaps for more than just this year. If Georgia wins, it may do the same to LSU.

So yeah, those are your happy thoughts for Friday morning.

Week 3: Georgia Preview

Richard Pittman — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:30:35 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

2 months ago: Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green (8) catches a long pass as Arizona State cornerback Pierre Singfield defends during the fourth quarter of their NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 20-17. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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I guess it's time to lighten things up just a little and get back to the routine. It is Tuesday after all, and that means it's time to preview the Georgia Bulldogs, this Saturday's opponent. If you think LSU has been a bit enigmatic, you should check out this Georgia team. Here are Georgia's point totals in their 4 games, in order: 10, 41, 52, 20. There are no patsies in there. Those are all at least somewhat decent teams that Georgia has played, and they lit it up in two games and were anemic in two others, losing one.

Georgia really could be sitting at 1-3 or even 0-4 right now. South Carolina probably outplayed Georgia, but could not get that last score to win the game, thanks to Rennie Curran. Arizona State had a chance to beat the Bulldogs, but couldn't quite get over the hump. Arkansas piled up yards by the armload, but collapsed towards the end as the Bulldog defense finally started coming up big.

The LSU fanbase, which has always seemed to suffer from catastrophe syndrome, is ready to write off this game, but that would be a huge mistake. Georgia has been sloppy, and their defense has been porous. NOPE takes us through the numbers in his FanPost. The situation for the fans has gotten so difficult that it is probably a fortunate thing that this game is being played in Athens. I'm afraid that playing at home could have been a disadvantage for us this week. In fact, Georgia's fanbase is in much the same position ours is in, wondering why their team can't do some of the little things right.

Any preview of Georgia has to start with the guy who is clearly their best player. Wide receiver A. J. Green. Heck, he might be the best offensive player in the conference. He's averaging 6.3 receptions per game, which leads the conference. He's averaging 107 yards per game receiving, which is ridiculous and is leading the conference by 20 yards. He catches everything thrown his way. He has about 40% of Georgia's receiving yards and he's scored about 1/4 of their offensive touchdowns.

That is insane for a wide receiver. Wideouts just aren't, individually, that big of a factor in an offense. They only touch the ball a few times per game, even the good ones, usually. A. J. Green is different. He was one of the 3 best wide receivers last year and he has stepped up game to another level to where he is clearly the best wide receiver in the conference by a significant margin.

Elsewhere in the offense, Joe Cox has admirably replaced the departed Matthew Stafford. He is completing 60% of his passes, averaging almost 9 yards per attempt, and has a TD/Int ratio of almost 2:1. Unfortunately, that includes 5 interceptions, but he has been very productive. His big weakness has been his lack of mobility, as he has -38 yards rushing on the season.

The leading rusher on the team is Richard Samuel, who has emerged as their go-to rusher. He's gotten about half their rushes, and he averages about 4.5 yards per carry. Georgia's rushing game is really not all that productive, much like LSU's.

We mentioned how Georgia's offense has been erratic. Well, let's look at Georgia's defense. Here are their point totals given up, in the same 4 games in which they scored such a strange variety of points: 24, 47, 31, 17. One week they're scoring tons of points and giving up tons of points. The next they're in a pitchers duel. No one has a good explanation for it.

One very big area of worry for the Tigers is that Georgia's defensive line is going to be the best we've seen so far this year. They are led by senior tackle Geno Atkins, who is an All-SEC calibre player. The middle of our offensive line, which has been suspect to say the least, has not had to block a player as good as Atkins. The good news is that Georgia does not get a lot of sacks, only 5 on the year so far. Incidentally, that's the same number of sacks we've had.

The offensive line will also have its hands full with linebacker Rennie Curran, who currently leads the SEC in tackles with 40. This is a Georgia defense that is a little hard to get a read on, and this perhaps explains their weird point totals given up. They don't get a lot of sacks. They don't get a lot of interceptions. They give up almost 250 yards per game passing. They've created only 3 turnovers all year. Yet they have some undeniably good players out there. Rennie Curran's been a beast since his freshman year. Geno Atkins is a serious player. Rashad Jones is an All-SEC calibre safety. The unit just isn't playing well together.

Maybe it has something to do with Willie Martinez. I think Georgia fans would have something to say about that.

This is a crossroads game for both teams. Neither team is playing at close to championship level, but neither team has really suffered a bad consequence for it either. Despite the loss to Oklahoma State, Georgia is still right in the thick of the SEC race, though they are not playing nearly as well as Florida is. LSU, despite not putting together a really good game in any of its previous 4 contests, is still a top 5 polling team, and is still undefeated despite playing 2 conference game and a quality OOC opponent.

Neither team has played great, but neither team has suffered for it. This is the weak where the football gods will smite one of these teams in punishment for its inconsistency and imperfection. LSU can't block and Georgia can't produce a turnover or stop a quality offense. Maybe one of these two teams will solve their problems and fill the holes in their team this week.

An Arizona State Weblogger Talks About His Team

T Kyle King — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:55:10 -0000

Blogging delays, both here at home and out in the Grand Canyon State, caused this posting to hit the internet later than any of us would have liked, but you may think of this as a special bonus posting.

I exchanged questions with SB Nation's Arizona St. Sun Devils blogger, Cory Williams. My responses to his questions appear at House of Sparky, while his answers to my inquires appear after the jump.

Dawg Sports: Whom should the Bulldogs fear on offense?

House of Sparky: If only it were that easy. The Sun Devils have yet to reveal the full potential of their offense. With Danny Sullivan getting comfortable as the starting QB at ASU, it's realistic to anticipate an increase in production. With that said, he will be aided by the sure hands of WR Chris McGaha.

A possession receiver who may have NFL-talent catching abilities, McGaha is often looked to in the flat on out routes, maximizing his opportunity to catch the ball, but minimizing the the potential for a big play.

Ball possession and a tough attitude will help ASU win the battle in Sanford, but they must be well aware of the speedy defense they are about to face.

DS: Whom should Georgia fear on defense?

HOS: The new recruits that coach Dennis Erickson has brought in, including Vontaze Burfict and Corey Adams, have largely boosted the athleticism and quickness of the Sun Devil defense. Burfict was ranked #1 in the country at LB, the #9 overall recruit, and #2 in California.

His speed and pursuit routes are like clockwork, and his elusiveness has acquainted him nicely to the college game. I am sure he and Rennie Curran will put forth maximum effort in a competitive, high exposure environment, with the recruiting world watching closely.

DS: What is Arizona State's biggest weakness?

HOS: ASU is an inexperienced, mediocre football team who has received an infusion of talent from the recruiting class of 2009. All positions considered, the offensive line has been the sieve that has brought us losing efforts against top-flight schools.

Georgia was able to penetrate our porous OL all day last season, and Rudy Carpenter never had a moment to do his reads, or find that open receiver on the 3rd check down. There just wasn't enough time with the excellent penetration by the Georgia front seven.

There have been changes on the line, with a few players returning from season-ending injuries in 2008. Even so, the inconsistencies that have plagued the ASU offensive line for years continue to come into play.

DS: How are your new recruits working out and what role will they play in deciding the outcome?

HOS: I have already played into this answer a little bit, but I will spare you any further praise of Burfict.

For the most part, ASU has seen value in letting its true freshmen play. We have seen Burfict, Adams, QB Brock Osweiler, K Bobby Wenzig, and a few others, which means that we are finally replenishing the quality of this program.

The main issue of 2008, ASU's lack of speed, has largely been addressed with the new additions. We are still years away from any semblance of contention, but the path has been created by the recruiting classes of 2008 and 2009.

With Thomas Weber, the 2007 Lou Groza award-winning kicker for the Sun Devils sitting this game out with a strained groin, Wenzig will be tasked with a difficult task on Saturday: kick the ball, and do it well. In a stadium with 92,000 screaming fans of the opposition, his impact will be felt, regardless of his performance.

My thanks go out to Cory for participating in this exchange. You may feel free to follow the unfolding action at SBNation.com.

Go 'Dawgs!

Beating The Bulldogs: A Georgia Blog's Take

Cory Williams — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:48:16 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

3 months ago: Georgia's Brandon Boykin, top, and Rennie Curran celebrate after Georgia defeated South Carolina 41-37 in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Browse more photos »

Just like last season, T. Kyle King from the top notch Georgia blog Dawg Sports has agreed to exchange a Q&A. We are grateful for his hard work and insight.

You may read my responses to his questions here, and I recommend joining his blog's GameThread to enjoy a high level of camaraderie with Bulldog fans.

With regard to the Georgia game tomorrow, ASU fans are well aware of the pedigree of the opposition. After the 27-10 thrashing witnessed in Tempe in 2008, Sun Devil faithful can only hope for a strong showing in SEC territory.

After all, it's all about the OOC schedule; with a good game against Georgia on the resume, ASU will find itself confident and prepared to make a run at the Pac-10 crown.

Without further ado, here is the Q&A:

Whom should the Sun Devils fear on offense?

Whom shouldn’t the Sun Devils fear on offense? Last Saturday night, Joe Cox earned national offensive player of the week honors by guiding nine scoring drives against Arkansas, six of which ended in touchdowns and six of which covered at least 57 yards. Orson Charles, A.J. Green, Tavarres King, and Aron White all caught TD passes. Richard Samuel, who had an 80-yard scoring scamper, is being pushed for playing time by newly-resurgent Caleb King.

Granted, all of that came against a suspect Razorback defense, but the Bulldogs tallied four offensive touchdowns against a pretty solid South Carolina D in a game in which Green and Michael Moore each had catches that went for touchdowns and Branden Smith scored on a 61-yard reverse. Right now, the Georgia offense is hitting on all cylinders, and it isn’t just one guy doing everything. The offseason theme in Athens has been that "it’s all about the team." On offense, that’s really true.

Whom should Arizona State fear on defense?

The secondary. Just kidding. As much as I’m hoping it will turn out to be Justin Houston, the answer (with all due respect to Jeff Owens) is Rennie Curran. The junior linebacker opened the campaign with eight tackles and a pass breakup in Stillwater, tied his personal-best 15 tackles against South Carolina (when he broke up a fourth-down pass near the goal line to preserve the win), and led the squad with eleven stops and a fumble recovery in Fayetteville last Saturday night.

Curran, whom The Sporting News identified as the SEC’s best hitter, was a preseason first-team all-SEC selection, and he is on the watch lists for the Lombardi Award, the Lott Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Butkus Award, and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. Eventually, at least one of those honors will be renamed "the Curran Trophy." He’s that good.

More from Dawg Sports after the jump...

What is Georgia’s biggest weakness?

Where do I begin? The Bulldogs commit too many turnovers and are flagged for too many penalties, many of which are of the "rookie mistake" variety rather than of the "playing aggressively" sort. Although the run defense is stout, the Georgia D is fooled by too many play action fakes. The secondary has failed to take away the deep ball, often getting caught out of position, and the middle of the field frequently is left open, much to the delight of opposing tight ends everywhere. The Red and Black have surrendered 37 or more points in seven of their last twelve games. Georgia’s kickoff coverage is a mess and directional kicking often sends the ball out of bounds to give the other team good starting field position, anyway.

Other than those few flaws, though, the ‘Dawgs are playing perfectly.

How are your new recruits working out and what role will they play in deciding the outcome?

Like all rookies at top-tier programs, they are displaying outrageous talent while committing mistakes born of youth. True freshman Branden Smith is a classic example, as he brought out a kickoff that should have been downed in the end zone and committed a costly turnover against South Carolina, but who turned right around and demonstrated his impressive speed on the aforementioned reverse.

The word is that redshirt freshman Sanders Commings, who was effective in the spring scrimmage, will see more playing time in the secondary, but, so far, the breakout star of the 2009 recruiting class has to be Orson Charles. The tight end from Tampa endeared himself to the Georgia faithful forever by shattering the Florida Gators’ 2006 national championship trophy with his behind while on a recruiting visit to Gainesville, but Charles also has shown early signs of living up to the hype. If he has a big game, the Bulldogs will have a big game. Who knows? Maybe Orson will have his big-time debut against Arizona State this year the way A.J. did a year ago. . . .

Game Day: September 19

Year2 — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:00:18 -0000

A rundown of what's on TV.

a.k.a. 11 AM Central

Best Game: Boston College at Clemson, Raycom

The Eagles were supposed to fold this year after losing their coach, two quarterbacks, and Mark Herzlich. Instead, they've blown out their cupcakes in a more authoritative fashion than just about any other ACC team has performed against overmatched opponents. This is their first real test against a Clemson team that gave Georgia Tech a great game last week.

Prediction: BC keeps it interesting for a while, but eventually wears down in the heat. Clemson wins, 27-24.

Next Best Game: Cal at Minnesota, ESPN

This game is kicking off at 9:00 Pacific, and the last time the Bears did that, they suffered an inexplicable loss at Maryland last season. Jeff Tedford had them leave a day early for Minnesota to combat any jet lag. Minnesota meanwhile has played two close games, edging out Syracuse and Air Force. Perhaps the time and a little Gopher magic will make this one close too?

Prediction: It will take some time for Cal to wake up, but once it does, Minnesota is toast. Cal wins 38-14.

SEC Games

Louisville at Kentucky, ESPNU: join the Wildcats in their new annual tradition of beating down the Cardinals.

North Texas at Alabama, SEC Network: the Tide won't start slow again this week.

Best Game: Nebraska at Virginia Tech, ABC, 3:30 ET

This one has the best combination of overall quality and closeness of competition. Nebraska could make a big statement by winning this one on the road, while VT is looking to avoid a 1-2 start.

Prediction: The mystical Blacksburg Vortex of Mediocrity swallows the Cornhuskers upon arrival, forcing them to inexplicably play below their potential like so many visiting teams that play there. Tech wins a slugfest 19-17.

Next Best Game: Tennessee at Florida, CBS, 3:30 ET

This one is the next best solely because of the story lines. From a football standpoint, it should be ugly and over before halftime. Several teams last year hoped great defense would overcome bad offense and keep them in games against Florida. Most went home losers with scores like 42-14, 56-6, and 63-5. Even if you ignore the subplots and focus on football, Tennessee should get waxed.

Prediction: Tennessee keeps it close for a quarter, but the dam breaks in the second. Florida rolls 52-3.

Honorable Mentions

There are no other SEC games besides the CBS Game of the Week, but these could be interesting enough to take a look at if you get bored with the above two games.

Michigan State at Notre Dame, NBC, 3:30

USC at Washington, ABC, 3:30 (not sure, but this might be on your ESPN2 if you get Neb-VT on ABC)

Utah at Oregon, ESPN, 3:30 ET

Best Game: Georgia at Arkansas, ESPN, 7:45 ET

One week they're a low scoring defensive team. The next, they're a high scoring no defense team. Anyone know which Georgia team will show up against Arkansas? I'd sure like to know. This is also the first test for the Razorbacks, who got some love for their offense in the preseason. Bobby Petrino versus Mark Richt. Rennie Curran versus Michael Smith. There's a lot to like in this game.

Prediction: Georgia plays tough, but Arkansas end up outscoring the Bulldogs 31-27.

Next Best Game: Texas Tech at Texas, ABC, 8:00 ET

I personally think Tech is better than everyone is giving them credit for right now, and that they'll give a surprisingly uptight Texas team a run for their money. I don't think the Red Raiders will win, mind you, but they'll make the Longhorns sweat and it's always interesting when Mike Leach is around.

Prediction: Texas Tech keeps pace with Texas for three quarters, at which point the Longhorns will pull away 42-30.

Honorable Mention: West Virginia at Auburn, ESPN2, 7:45

I really don't think West Virginia is as good as most people think, but at the same time, this is the first pretty good team Auburn has played. If the Tigers have even 70% the success they've had in their first two games running the ball, this one will be over quickly.

Prediction: Auburn will start slowly as it figures out West Virginia will push them back pretty hard. Eventually they'll get rolling and outlast the Mountaineers 26-17.

Other SEC Games

UL-Lafayette at LSU, ESPNU, 7:00 ET: you'll laugh indeed as LSU finally lets it rip against someone and wins big.

Mississippi State at Vanderbilt, FSN Regional, 7:00 ET: this one ends up more high scoring than you think, but Vandy takes it.

SELA at Ole Miss, CSS, 7:30 ET: there's no reason to watch this bloodbath unless you're a Rebel fan.

Honorable Mentions

The televised night games all suck, so I won't even go so far as to call one the "best game." The only one between two Big Six teams is Kansas State at UCLA, but that's not even remotely interesting. If you need football to be on your TV, go with Hawai'i at UNLV (MTN/CBS College Sports) at 11:00 ET, because James Bates is calling the game and he's a hoot.