The rising price of déjà vu

No, Nick Saban won’t be croomed (in the strict sense of the word) as a result of ‘Bama’s loss to MSU yesterday, but he will have to endure this:

If that doesn’t sting enough, check out this quote from MSU coach Sylvester Croom: “We won a big game when we did not play our best and that is the sign of a good football team, when you can win big games when you do not play your best.”

The Tide lost to Mississippi State for a lot less money last year.

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Good thing there wasn’t a keg on the field – somebody might have gotten hurt.

Gotta love the Zooker, man. He gets the biggest win in his time at Illinois – and outcoaches Jim Tressel! – but lets the moment close out in true, “let’s go fight the frat boys” Zooker style.

Karma is a beyotch, Ole Ball Coach edition

With 1:45 remaining in the game, after a USC timeout, Florida, leading by 13 at the time, scores on a 21 yard touchdown pass from Tim Tebow to Andre Caldwell, running up 51 points on Spurrier in his own stadium.

Gee, that kinda takes you back, doesn’t it?

Lose to Clemmins, and this once top 10 ranked program may not even make a bowl appearance.   How the mighty have fallen.

A few notes from the blackout

I haven’t seen a replay of yesterday’s game yet, so I’m just going on personal observations from the 35 yard line here:

• I’m trying to remember the last time I was at a game where the momentum changes were so stark and clear cut. The middle stretch of the game, where Auburn clawed back from 14 down to take a 20-17 lead, was fueled by what I thought was the best defense I’ve seen any opponent play against Georgia this year. Antonio Coleman, in particular, was dominating any and every offensive lineman he went up against. Then Stafford hit Bailey on that 2nd and thirteen, 45 yard pass and it was all over.
• Speaking of Stafford, I think the AJ-C’s Mark Bradley is on to something when he writes that “… Stafford still isn’t an every-down quarterback. He doesn’t lead the SEC in passing efficiency or yards per game, and he’d completed only 56.1 percent of his passes before Saturday. (Auburn’s Brandon Cox had completed 60.9 percent.) What Stafford is, however, is a big-down quarterback. When it gets late and gets tight, he throws the ball as well as a ball can be thrown….” I don’t know if the system makes the man, or if the man makes the system, but it sure seems like Mike Bobo has turned the clock back to pre-Bill Walsh NFL style offensive football – run the ball to move the chains, hope to connect on a half-dozen or so big plays and don’t consider pass completion percentage as a measure of success.
• How did Florida only score 17 points on the Auburn secondary?
• Martinez’ vaunted second half adjustments on defense took a little time to show up, but they did make it. Auburn’s last five drives consisted of: -3 yards, interception; -4 yards, punt; 0 yards, interception; 36 yards, downs; 0 yards, interception.
• I’d sure like to know if the assignment of Penn Wagers’ crew to this game by the SEC was random or deliberate.
• Brannen Southerland threw some hellacious blocks.

Auburn delenda est.

Four touchdowns in less than fifteen minutes against the nation’s eighth rated defense (fifth in scoring defense).

Dink, my man, instead of pitching some screwy plan to make Mark Richt the SEC’s first Six Million Dollar Man, you ought to be talking up your cronies about raises for Searels and Bobo.

Icing on the cake:  the Dawg defense held Auburn’s offense to 200 yards less than Georgia’s, on three more plays.   Guess that’ll quiet down the “Will Muschamp to Georgia” talk for a few days at least.

An ass kicking, plain and simple.  I loved every minute of it.