Andrea Adelson is at the top of her game.

Seriously, this is some of the greatest Dawg trolling I’ve ever read.

With all due respect, Edward, I am trying to figure out what there is to debate here. Murray has not exactly done well in the big games he has played in throughout his career. Georgia coach Mark Richt was asked as much after the SEC championship game loss to Alabama a year ago, growing angry and defensive at the mere implication that Murray comes up small on the big stage. Well, there’s a reason Richt was asked. Murray is 3-11 against teams that ended the season ranked in the Top 25; his best win would be against No. 2 Florida last year. But he did nothing to win that game. Murray threw for 150 yards and had three passes intercepted; the Gators gave that one away with six turnovers. Boyd, on the other hand, has won a conference championship, was an AFCA first-team All-American last year and has been selected as the 2013 preseason player of the year in his league. That’s a trifecta Murray can’t match.

That is one paragraph of unadulterated awesome.  If that doesn’t get people reaching for their keyboards in response, I don’t know what would.  Almost every button you could hit, she hits.  All that’s missing is a Hutson Mason reference.

Sometimes you’ve just gotta acknowledge you’re in the presence of a master.

Tonight’s SEC games

Is it six o’clock yet?

• North Carolina at South Carolina.  I’m not sure why, but this game has given me the most trouble in this week’s Fabris Pool.  The line is home team -11.5 and I continue to waffle between the ‘Cocks winning by somewhere in the range of ten to fourteen points.  (Ask me now, and I’ll say ten.)  I’ll watch Clowney, of course, but what I’ll be more interested in keeping track of is how SC’s back seven performs against what should be a pretty decent passing attack.  Fedora’s got a sharp offensive mind and a few weapons to deploy.  I don’t think it’ll be enough, but maybe the Heels will expose a weakness that Bobo can exploit next weekend.  Oh, and did I mention Jadeveon Clowney?
• Mississippi at Vanderbilt.  Just a couple of years ago, I might have referred to this meeting as the battle for the right to be named King of the Dipshits, but that’s hardly fair to either team now.  Both have stepped up their games, recruitingwise, but still lack the depth to be included in a discussion of the conference elite.  Still, it’s a big game for both, because when you count wins towards bowl eligibility and maybe more, this is the kind of game you have to win to establish yourself in the upper half of the SEC.  Both teams have excellent staffs and I’m looking forward to seeing how Freeze vs. Shoop plays out.  The Chris Boyd suspension hurts Vandy, of course, but I think the bigger question is how well the Commodores can replace the loss of last year’s starting quarterback and running back.  I think the Rebel Black Bears pull out the win in the end, but Vanderbilt covers the +3.5 points.

Thoughts?

“The schedule can make or break you.”

Spurdog’s still got that schedule thang going.  Just not with Georgia anymore.

You haven’t hesitated to point out how much scheduling has impacted both the SEC and national championship races the past few years. What do you make of your schedule this year given the fact that you avoid Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M in the West?

SS: It evened out a little bit, but we play Clemson every year and also play North Carolina this year. Georgia’s got a tough schedule this year, too. Did you see who Texas A&M plays out of conference [Rice, Sam Houston State, SMU and UTEP]? That’s embarrassing…

At his most frustrated, I don’t think he ever referred to Georgia’s last two schedules as “embarrassing”.

Bonus quote, about signing with the Gators:  “Florida was sort of an underdog at that time. They’d never won anything. Amazingly, when I got back down there coaching 27 years later, they’d still not won much of anything.”  There are plenty of Gator fans who would profess not to know what Spurrier’s talking about there.

Thursday morning buffet

Finally, it’s here.  Celebrate with the buffet.

• Here’s a team-by-team look at the SEC in season-openers.
• Statistical pessimism about Georgia’s 2013 season here.
• Year2 explores how much a bye week matters.
• George O’Leary demonstrates that he’s not just an ordinary asshole, he’s a tone-deaf asshole.
• MaconDawg ranks the SEC coaches on likeability.
• The War on Drugs is widely seen as an abject failure, but Georgia’s new president decides to go all in on Michael Adams’ quest to have the SEC adopt a uniform drug policy, presumably matching his own.  Good luck with that, Jere.
• The season hasn’t started, but Paul Johnson is already in mid-season complaint form.  On the one hand, “It’s a big mistake to think that teams play for their league.”  On the other, “If you watch ESPN, it’s a 24-hour non-stop commercial for the SEC.”
• Here’s some lazy, clichéd Aaron Murray talk from Matt Hayes.
• If you’re interested in stuff like this, here’s a post on all the uniform changes in college football this season.

Fabris Pool reminder

One last time – operators are standing by to take your request to sign up to play in this year’s Fabris Invitational.  And you won’t even have to pay shipping and handling charges!  Just follow this link:  http://www.funofficepools.com/joinpool.php?Passed_Pool_Key=4e5f346c71c

As you read this, we’ve got over 250 participants.

Also, don’t forget that there are two games tonight in this week’s pool, so be sure to make your picks in time for them to count.

Only in America, indeed.

It’s narrated by a Brit who doesn’t know anything about the game.  It showcases two teams that I’m not a fan of.  And yet this video manages to convey more of the charm of college football than anything else I’ve seen.

It’s become my go-to opening day clip for good reason.  It works.  Take it away, Stephen Fry in Alabama.