SB Nation User Blog: Todd

1. Ingram vs. Dixon: The top two running backs in the SEC go at it in Starkville. Alabama’s Mark I...

Todd — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:54:53 -0000

1. Ingram vs. Dixon: The top two running backs in the SEC go at it in Starkville. Alabama’s Mark Ingram is leading the league with an average of 127.6 rushing yards per game, and Mississippi State’s Anthony Dixon is right on his tail with an average of 125.1 yards per game. Both players have already gone over 1,000 yards for the season, and both players don’t go down easily. We know they’re capable of huge games, too. See Ingram’s 246-yard effort against South Carolina and Dixon’s 252-yard effort against Kentucky. The SEC rushing title could well be decided in this game.

What to watch in the SEC: Week 11 - ESPN

The RBR Radio Hour(ish) Is Upon Us!

Todd — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:32:57 -0000

Coming at you live from our state of the art broadcasting facilities buried deep within Red Mountain!

It's about that time, kids. 8:00pm CST is the time, TalkShoe is the place. Join us in the chat, or listen in below.

Submit Your Questions for "Hey Todd!"

Todd — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:56:42 -0000

...everything I had to know, I heard it on my RBR radio...

It's that time again kids, time for another thrilling episode of the Roll Bama Roll Radio Hour(ish). Tonight's topics include, but are not limited to:

Greg McElroy - Has he finally turned the corner?
Julio Jones - Did he come with him?
Todd's Vomit - Did it cause Peterson's cramping?
Mississippi State - Should we be worried?
Gary Danielson - I used to like him?

So get those questions in and join us tonight at 8:00 pm CST over at TalkShoe.

al.com Video: Mark Ingram After Tuesday's Practice

Todd — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:35:14 -0000

Nothing much of substance here (unless you consider tales of Ingram's bowling and golfing skills riveting, which I do), but I wanted to post it to point out just how much he sounds like Saban when talking about execution (six mentions in roughly one minute) and everyone knowing their assignments since it ties in with the "winning is a byproduct of doing it the right way" fanshot from yesterday and also is just one more example of how Saban's character and personality has completely infected the team.

h/t al.com, where you can also find video of Terrence Cody's post practice comments.

Cecil Hurt on Finebaum Yesterday

Todd — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:13:40 -0000

Cecil Hurt on Finebaum Yesterday

I rarely listen to Finebaum, but OTS e-mailed wanting to know if any of us had heard Hurt so I downloaded and listened to it and think y'all should as well (link above is directly to the mp3 file of his segment) for two reasons.

1. The best commentary on the officiating being part of a conspiracy I've heard yet. If there really was a conspiracy going on, the "running into the kicker" penalty would have been a fifteen yard automatic first down "roughing" call instead of the "five yard, make 'em go for it on 4th" kind.

2. McElroy almost pulled? This one is a little mind boggling, but Hurt claims at half time there were rumors among the press guys that McElroy was this close to getting pulled. The mind boggling part is that there was talk he was getting pulled for McCarron. I sincerely doubt that was the case (as does Hurt) since McCarron is a true freshman and we've already had Jackson running the offense in a game (played almost half of the UNT game), but McCarron was the one calling the signals on the sideline, which is usually the backup's job. Strange indeed.

At Auburn, there’s hope, a sense that a new day is coming under first-year coach Gene Chizik. A...

Todd — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:10:32 -0000

At Auburn, there’s hope, a sense that a new day is coming under first-year coach Gene Chizik. An eight-win season would be greeted with a bunch of approving nods. Even a seven-win season would be tolerable. It's still the honeymoon phase.

At Georgia, there’s despair. There’s anger. There’s real concern that this program is on a slippery slope to mediocrity in the SEC, a program that’s been the hallmark of consistency under Mark Richt. A seven-win season would go over about as well as a 10-year-old getting socks for Christmas.

Auburn, Georgia on different tracks - ESPN

Not to overly praise Auburn or to unduly bash Georgia, but I'll say it again; who would have thought this would be the case in August? We all thought UGA would take a step back with the talent drain, but the idea of Georgia fighting for bowl eligibility with only three games left? Never would have crossed my mind. Nor would Auburn's potential berth in a New Year's Day(ish) Bowl under a first year head coach with almost zero quality depth at his disposal. We have truly entered Bizarro World.

To Saban, and Belichick, the game is really simple, said Kinchen. "Details, details, details,''...

Todd — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:22:47 -0000

To Saban, and Belichick, the game is really simple, said Kinchen.

"Details, details, details,'' he said. "Fundamentals. And the by-product is winning. Most coaches want to win and try to figure out how to do it. That's the exact opposite of the type of coach Bill and Nick are. They teach from the ground up, and all the success comes as a by-product of doing it the right way. It's really simple.

"People think it's hard. But Nick and Bill would probably laugh at that. It's not that difficult. Do it the right way, get the kids to believe, and it's not hard at all.

Brian Kinchen on Nick Saban and Bill Belichick: "They're one in the same.'' - al.com

Random Thought: SEC Teams That Aren't Yet Bowl Eligible (and Random Teams that Are)

Todd — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:47:29 -0000

While I was putting my blogpoll ballot together I was looking at the conference standings page over at Yahoo! Sports to get a look at the records of various mid-majors, and something jumped out at me about the SEC; half the conference is still looking to reach .500 with only three games left in the season:

Raise your hand if you thought before the season started that at this point Auburn would be bowl eligible while Georgia, with Auburn, Kentucky, and Georgia Tech left on the schedule, isn't necessarily a lock for the post season. If there's anyone out there with their hand raised, you are either an Auburn homer or your pants are exceptionally hot right now, liar. Anyway, Vandy is the only team that is mathematically elminated from a bowl game, but there are a few teams on the outside looking in that are unfortunately going to stay that way. Mississippi State is probably out (needing two wins out of Alabama, Arkansas, and Ole Miss), while poor Vandy is likely the whipping boy that can catapult both Kentucky and Tennessee into bowl eligibility. Meanwhile in the West, poor State will likely be the team that gets both Arkansas and Ole Miss (who, despite being 6-3, still needs another win since they played two 1AA teams this season and only one of those wins can count towards bowl eligibility) into the postseason. None of this is a given, though. State is no pushover and I wouldn't be at all shocked if they upset Ole Miss. Should the Rebels end the season on a three game skid (which is possible with Tennessee, who is starting to really click right now, and LSU still on the schedule), Ole Miss will be sitting home for the holidays. Meanwhile in the East, Georgia better bring everything they have the rest of the way since even Kentucky is a threat to take them down. Just goes to show that the SEC is quickly becoming a conference with a two to three team "elite" level (this year, Alabama, Florida, and LSU) and a seriously logjammed middle. We're possibly looking at sending two teams to the BCS, one double digit win team to the Outback, and a whole bunch of 6 and 7 win teams everywhere else.

Looking elsewhere, though, it's amusing to note some of the teams that have quietly gone about reaching .500:

Northwestern, Rutgers, Kansas State, Boston College, North Carolina, Texas Tech, Temple, Ohio, Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, Air Force, BYU, Arizona, Stanford, Navy, Fresno State, Idaho, Troy, and Middle Tennessee State are all bowl eligible despite either completely flying under the radar or, in the case of BYU, having fallen completely off the map after early season hype. Just a thought.

1) Florida (.9842) 2) Alabama (.9516) 3) Texas (.9234) 4) TCU (.8620) 5) Cincinnati (.8580) 6)...

Todd — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:18:20 -0000

1) Florida (.9842)
2) Alabama (.9516)
3) Texas (.9234)
4) TCU (.8620)
5) Cincinnati (.8580)
6) Boise State (.8126)
7) Georgia Tech (.7552)
8) LSU (.6138)
9) USC (.5922)
10) Iowa (.5745)

Alabama regains No. 2 spot in BCS standings | The Bama Beat

"It wasn't supposed to be like this." - Jimmy Clausen Love this picture. h/t Doc Saturday

Todd — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:27:33 -0000

"It wasn't supposed to be like this." - Jimmy Clausen

Love this picture. h/t Doc Saturday