Sometimes, it’s about getting the Jimmie and Joes to buy in to the Xs and Os.

Based on this post of mine from last week, it seems I need to toss some more love Todd Grantham’s way for getting this right:

“I’ve seen young men change their habitual traits, their habits,” Grantham explained. “I’ve seen them create mental toughness. I’ve seen them learn to play the game the way you’re supposed to play, to play with effort and energy.

“They started believing. Belief is a powerful thing. When guys start believing in what they’re doing and what you’re coaching them to do, you can do a lot of things.”

Ain’t that the truth.

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Dawg Stat Watch, Week 12

It’s in the books that Georgia is the 2011 SEC Eastern Division champ, so however things play out from here, the DSW will have to incorporate the results into a new framework.

Here’s what we’re looking at now:

1. Hold opponents under 17 points per game.  As a team, Georgia is yielding 17.8 ppg.
2. Finish at least +8 in turnover margin.  Georgia’s turnover margin is +9.
3. Average better than 380 yards per game on offense.  Georgia’s offense is averaging 427.6 ypg.
4. Finish in the top five in total defensive yardage.  Georgia’s defense ranks third in total defense.
5. Finish in the top three in first downs.  Georgia is second in first downs.
6. Finish no worse than third in passing yardage.  Georgia is third in passing yardage.
7. Finish no worse than third in sacks.  Georgia is first in sacks.

Total offense and first downs took small hits, but that’s about it.

Shaving another point off scoring defense per game is going to be tough this week, though.

Brackets make everything better, right?

Even if you’re not a fan of the BCS, it’s hard to miss what weekends like the last one do for our appreciation of college football.

… In the end, I hate the idea of an LSU-Alabama rematch in the title game. However: Every other big contender had their shot to keep winning and play their way over Alabama. Every one. And even knowing all that, they couldn’t get it done, largely against inferior competition.

That is arguably the most compelling thing about college football — not championship contenders rising to the occasion, but championship contenders stumbling unexpectedly.

If the challenge to voters and fans and the system is to find the best two teams to pit in the national title game, the match-up is LSU vs. Alabama. Yes, even if they played before.

They’ve been settling things on the field for twelve weeks now.  Forgive me if I don’t grok what an extended playoff brings to the table on top of that.

Kiffin watch: win one for the Sabanator

Southern Cal’s win over Oregon puts Junior in a nostalgic mood.

Lane Kiffin looked like the kid that he is, at least in terms of coaching experience.

Sitting on a trunk outside the USC locker room late Saturday, the Trojans’ coach considered the mess he and his team had created. Not just here where they stared down the nation’s fastest offense and ended the nation’s longest home winning streak, but around the entire nation.

“I wonder if Nick left me a phone message,” Kiffin said. “He likes me.”

No word yet on whether Mike Slive intends to issue a public reprimand for old times’ sake.

Oh, and about that whole “looking ahead” thing…

that Georgia Tech fans will use to convince themselves that a Georgia team which has won nine of the last ten games in the series won’t be taking the Jackets seriously, here’s a little note from the Kentucky game.

Richt said sophomore nose Kwame Geathers (ankle) was held out Saturday but could have played in an emergency.

This week’s the emergency.

Our cheerleaders will kick your cheerleaders’ ass.

This sort of scares the crap out of me.

(Photo via onlineathens.com)

 

SEC Power Poll, Week 12

For all the chaos that consumed college football last weekend, the SEC was a pretty orderly place to play.

1. LSU (11-0, 7-0).  In the swirling, stormy sea that is this year’s college football season, Les Miles is a rock.  Think about that for a minute.
2. Alabama (10-1, 6-1).  Now think about this:  Alabama has an easier path to the national title game than LSU does.
3. Arkansas (10-1, 6-1).  The Hogs rolled their third straight conference team.  I still don’t think they have the offensive line or defense to match up with Alabama or LSU, though.
4. Georgia (9-2, 7-1).  Mark Richt said, “It’s hard to win nine in a row — period.”  He’s right, you know.
5. South Carolina (9-2, 6-2).  The “loser of the Georgia-South Carolina game can’t win the division” meme announced its retirement Saturday afternoon.
6. Auburn (7-4, 4-3).  Revenge is a dish best served cold.  And Nick Saban is a cold, cold man.
7. Florida (6-5, 3-5).  I wonder what Jeremy Foley was thinking when “Furman 22, Florida 7” flashed up on the scoreboard at the Swamp.
8. Tennessee (5-6, 1-6).  Derek Dooley described the win over Vandy as a “big step for our program.”  Now that’s a sad comment.
9. Vanderbilt (5-6, 2-6).  After this week’s game, James Franklin ought to cement Vanderbilt’s new reputation by chasing after one of the Wake Forest coaches and coming up from behind to throw a rolling block into his knee.
10. Mississippi State (5-6, 1-6).  This team has seriously regressed.  Dan Mullen has the Egg Bowl to be thankful for, at least.
11. Kentucky (5-6, 1-6).  A forgettable team enduring a forgettable season.
12. Mississippi (2-9, 0-7).  If I could figure out a way to vote ’em thirteenth, I’d do it.

“There will never be another one like him.”

Larry Munson, R.I.P.

It’s a day we’ve felt was coming for a while, but that doesn’t make the news any harder to take.

I’m sure everyone has their own special Munson moment, but I’ll always be grateful for the way he rekindled my love for college football with his call of the ’78 Kentucky game.  Lewis Grizzard once described that call as better than being there; he would get no argument from me about that.

Bless you, Larry, and thanks.  It’s just a shame that you can’t deliver your own eulogy.