You don’t get much without giving.

If it helps any, Brian, I’d pony up the extra $2.59.

Reaching for different brass rings

Implicit in a discussion like this is the notion that winning the Mountain West is meaningless in and of itself.  The conference championship is never even mentioned.

Can you imagine anyone ever dismissing an SEC title as a goal?

Wednesday morning buffet

One. More. Day.

• Groo wonders if we’re looking at an uptempo game Saturday night.
• Andy Staples’ college football fan’s prayer is pretty good.
• “We have forgiven Stephen for his transgressions,” Spurrier said.  Stop it, you’re killing me.
• SEC beat writers pick upsets and surprise teams.  It’s good to see that they really don’t have any more insight about this stuff than we do.
• In yesterday’s presser, Mark Richt said he’s seen noticeable results from the new S&C regime.
• Speaking of Richt, Rivals manages to put him on the hot seat, yet list him as one of the twenty best coaches in the country.
• If you’re interested, OBNUG has a detailed look at the Boise State depth chart for Saturday night’s game.
• Darren Rovell says adding Texas A&M won’t do much for the SEC’s TV contract situation.  All the more reason to think there’s a 14th team invite out there, right?
• Phil Steele’s computer likes Georgia over Boise State.  Steele himself, alas, doesn’t.

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Finding my religion

Dammit, Dawgs – how’m I supposed to maintain a detached coolness about Saturday night when you’re throwing out stuff like this?

“John had his best practice (Tuesday),” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. “I mean I thought he was really dominant out there. Those guys are all gonna play. It’s important that you have big guys up front that can play and rotate and keep them fresh. So they’re all gonna play.”

And this?

“He’s [Isaiah Crowell] every bit as advertised,” quarterback Aaron Murray said. “The kid every day in practice has turned people’s heads in practice. He’s a tremendously talented running back. He’ll show everyone this year. He’s going to make some plays that people’s jaws are going to hit the ground like, ‘Wow, that kid just made that move.’ “

I wish the game would up and get here.  I’m ready to do some cheering.

So if he’d have just traded the jersey for some hookers…

Friend of the blog Bryant Denny has the same reaction to the one-game penalty imposed by the NCAA on the Miami players caught up in the Nevin Shapiro scandal that I have.

What a load of crap.

It’s a sign!

It’s all coming together, Dawgnation… Bill Goldberg is getting back in the ring.

Does Nike design Pro Combat gear for wrasslers?

If you’re looking for a straw to grasp today…

Chris Petersen pays respect.

Petersen says Georgia is "bigger and faster" than Boise State, and than Boise State normally sees.

— Bronco Beat (@IDS_BroncoBeat) August 30, 2011

Of course, that could simply be his version of Dooley complimenting Directional A&M’s long snapper as being the finest in the country.

It’s all over but the shouting.

Personally speaking, I think Spencer ought to retire the Fulmer Cup (or at least rename it in Chizik’s honor) after this go ’round.  Nobody’s gonna touch that score… I hope.

… Barring Georgia’s entire team going out and getting one count of disorderly conduct each from the pesky hand of the Athens PD, this is over. (And Georgia’s saving all their disorderly conduct for their defensive downs against Boise on Saturday night! Wocka Grantham wocka!)

I bet McGarity stays up late tonight.

New depth chart announced.

Weiszer has the details.

Ten Dream Teamers appear, although not Ray Drew.  Damned scooters.

Malcome’s not there, which means he’s still banged up.

What’s scary:  seeing the backup o-linemen in print.

What’s not:  the depth at tight end (it looks like Jay Rome is headed for a redshirt).

Thoughts?

Not your regular SEC preseason predictions

Since I’m already on record as saying that I have no clue what to expect about Georgia’s performance this season, that makes it kind of hard to put together an SEC 2011 season projection as I usually have.

But I’m not giving up here.  Instead, I’m taking a different approach.  Rather than give you my predicted records, I’ll list the schools in the order they finished in the conference last year, look at areas of potential improvement and decline and assess in what direction I expect each to go by comparison to 2010.

In other words, pure seat of the pants BS.

Let’s hope this works.

SEC WEST

AUBURN (14-0, 8-0)

• Pros:  Continuity on coaching staff; Gus Malzahn; upgraded recruiting
• Cons:  Ted Roof; loss of best offensive and defensive players in the conference; least experienced team in the SEC; much tougher schedule than 2010’s
• Outlook:  No way to go but down here.  The question is how much.  If Chizik wins more than eight, he’s doing a helluva job.

ARKANSAS (10-3, 6-2)

• Pros:  Continuity on coaching staff; Bobby Petrino; maturity on defense; superb receiver corps depth
• Cons:  Special teams; new quarterback; Knile Davis injury; Alabama and LSU road games
• Outlook:  They’ll win 10 again, I think, because Tyler Wilson likely works out well.  But the defense being a notch below Alabama’s and LSU’s may mean that’s the ceiling.

LSU (11-2, 6-2)

• Pros:  Tons of recruiting talent; John Chavis’ defense should rival Saban’s as conference’s best
• Cons:  Offseason problems; quarterback situation unsettled; tough schedule
• Outlook:  More than a few pundits have picked the Tigers as their top team in the country, but I’m having a hard time seeing that because of the quarterback situation and the schedule.  Besides, don’t Miles’ teams always lose two games?

ALABAMA (10-3, 5-3)

• Pros:  Stocked, talent-wise; deep, experienced defense; offensive line; Trent Richardson; coaching staff
• Cons:  Unsettled at quarterback; uncertain who game-breaking wide receiver is
• Outlook:  It’s easy to forget the Tide finished fourth in the West last year.  That shouldn’t happen in 2011.  This team appears to have fewer flaws than any other team in the SEC.  ‘Bama will go as far as its offense will take it.

MISSISSIPPI STATE (9-4, 4-4)

• Pros:  Dan Mullen; decent quality skill position players; schedule has South Carolina, Alabama and LSU at home
• Cons:  Departure of Manny Diaz; defensive front seven losses; overall talent level not as high as top-tier SEC West squads
• Outlook:  Mullen did a fantastic job last year squeezing every drop he could out of his team.  Hard to see them equaling last year’s nine wins in 2011.

MISSISSIPPI (4-8, 1-7)

• Pros:  Experienced backfield and offensive line; return of David Lee as Nutt’s offensive coordinator
• Cons:  Inexperience at quarterback; secondary; SEC West schedule
• Outlook:  They won’t be worse than they were last year, but it’s hard to see that they’ll significantly improve, either.

SEC EAST

SOUTH CAROLINA (9-5, 5-3)

• Pros:  Best offensive duo in the conference in Lattimore and Jeffrey; favorable schedule; Spurrier and Johnson; deep defensive line; weak SEC East; improved recruiting
• Cons:  special teams; secondary; Stephen Garcia
• Outlook:  You can tell Spurrier can taste it.  He’s this close – meaning he’s as close as Garcia can take the ‘Cocks.  If Garcia doesn’t implode, South Carolina wins at least 10 games and the East.  (They may also surprise ‘Bama if they meet in the SECCG.)

FLORIDA (8-5, 4-4)

• Pros:  Phenomenal recruiting; skill position talent; defensive line talent; Weis replacing Addazio
• Cons:  Coaching staff/scheme overhaul; brutal October schedule; inexperienced secondary; offensive line depth
• Outlook:  Maybe Muschamp is a coaching genius.  With that schedule, he’d better be.  The scheme change on offense with the attendant personnel mismatches suggests it’s going to be tough for the Gators to improve upon last year’s win totals.

GEORGIA (6-7, 3-5)

• Pros:  Most favorable schedule in the conference; quarterback; tight end; special teams; second year in 3-4 defense
• Cons:  offensive line depth; running back depth and inexperience; wide receiver depth; team psyche
• Outlook:  Sigh.  Before the first two games are played, who the hell knows?

TENNESSEE (6-7, 3-5)

• Pros:  Good skill position talent; coaching stability
• Cons:  Inexperience and depth issues on defense; special teams
• Outlook:  The schedule is slightly kinder this season and it’s got to help that for the first time in a few years the Vols aren’t breaking in a new coaching staff, so you can make a case for seven wins.  But this team isn’t as talented as the top teams in the East (let alone the West).  Any kind of bad luck with injuries and it’s easy to see UT miss out on playing in a bowl.

KENTUCKY (6-7, 2-6)

• Pros:  schedule; experienced offensive line; Danny Trevathan
• Cons:  lack of offensive skill position players
• Outlook:  If UK becomes bowl eligible, it’ll be because of that schedule.  This just isn’t that impressive a team on paper.

VANDERBILT (2-10, 1-7)

• Pros:  new coaching staff’s energy; some talent on defense; most experienced team in the SEC
• Cons:  no offensive firepower
• Outlook:  Vandy has a deep, deep hole to dig out of this season, so deep that they could very well play better and show no improvement from last year’s win totals.  This is more than a one-year reclamation project.