Games this week seemed to reinforce general perceptions. I’ve added net yard per game again as a general indicator about which schools are overachieving and which may not be.
- Alabama (+195.8). A thrilling comeback win in Death Valley may obscure the question of what a career game for Zach Mettenberger means.
- LSU (+138.1). Give Les Miles credit for coming up with a terrific game plan, or blame him for taking a series of ill-advised gambles that failed to pay off? Yes to both.
- Georgia (+126.9). The defense everyone expected to see at the beginning of the season has finally shown up. Which means the Dawgs will go as far as their offensive line takes them.
- Florida (+45.9). The Gator offense grows creakier by the week.
- South Carolina (+68.9). How ironic would it be if what haunts Spurrier after the season isn’t the scheduling against the West but the loss to Florida?
- Texas A&M (+182.5). Okay, maybe they haven’t shocked the world, but the Aggies have produced a damned fine debut season.
- Vanderbilt (+68.9). The Commodores are doing to others what others have done to them.
- Mississippi State (+9.2). Coach Mullen, it’s not that you did a poor job of preparing your team. It’s that your team wasn’t that good to start with.
- Mississippi (+20.5). Scheme will only take you so far, Rebels.
- Arkansas (+15.1). Going toe-to-toe with Tulsa has to be almost as disheartening as having to beat two of the next three ranked opponents to qualify for a bowl game.
- Tennessee (+2.0). Racking up 718 yards of offense against a Sun Belt team is one thing. Needing to rack up 718 yards of offense against a Sun Belt team is quite another.
- Missouri (-8.3). The Tigers wish they could play Kentucky again.
- Auburn (-123.5). Nine games in, Auburn gets its first win in regulation. Gene Chizik will tell you that’s something to build on.
- Kentucky (-122.6). As final straws go, a 40-0 loss to Vanderbilt is as good as any.
Get The Picture 
That Gatah offense looks about as good as last years offense. 🙂
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“The defense everyone expected to see at the beginning of the season has finally shown up. Which means the Dawgs will go as far as their offensive line takes them.”
– words of a prophet
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A nice Uncle Verne type twist with Richt and Grantham against Van Gorder and Martinez this week.
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We better have our heads screwed on right heading to Auburn-They will play hard and probably play better against us than they have all year !
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Beware the Ires of Martinez and da Gorder. Fired coaches, second choices, and humiliated exHeisman winners can be pesky so and so’s.
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Don’t you mean “Death Stadium” as per Verne???
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The good Senator writes;
“How ironic would it be if what haunts Spurrier after the season isn’t the scheduling against the West but the loss to Florida?”
If the schedules were reversed, if UGA faced LSU @ Baton Rouge and USCe faced Ole Miss at home, the roles would indeed probably be reversed.
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If SC hadn’t dropped the ball all over the Swamp, your point would likely be moot.
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If my Aunt Sally had a beard, she’d be my Uncle Joe. But she don’t…
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Mike, you have a better understanding of CFB than to assume that. Things just aren’t that simple, it depends on specific matchups and which team shows up. Could it have been reversed? Sure, that is one of several combinations that becomes possible. You are sounding more and more like Spurrier ,who seems to have totally lost his mind with comments the last two seasons. Who knows what young athletes would react to in different environments? SC and LSU have been up and down the scale in various games, just like UGA and FU. The only constant in the SEC this year has been Alabama. The battle of who is 2nd, or 3rd, best changes weekly, imo.
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I guess we’ll see next year. Schedule breaks went to South Carolina in ’13.
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Just have to play the cards we are dealt, like always. No one whined until Spurrier began acting like an old fool. No one knows who will get the best until we see who takes the field, and who shows up. Arky was Top 10 until the teams took the field this year… Based on being overrated last year and having a coach who was a no show. I will reserve judgements, however it looks like we will know if we are great by the end of September.
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So TAMU is #2 in net yardage after playing many of the same teams as Bama, plus Florida’s D? If Manziel doesn’t turn it over multiple times, they may pull of a big upset this weekend.
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If Manziel makes it healthy to the end of the game running like he has been – I’ll be surprised.
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