GAME OF THE WEEK LSU (0-0) at North Carolina (0-0) in Atlanta Sept. 4, 8:00, ABC Here’s The Deal … Alright, ACC, if you really, really want to take a huge step forward and show that you’re ready to become more of a player on a national scale, this is the type of game you have to win. The conference has had the misfortune of dealing with Alabama in the last two season-openers in Atlanta, (with the Tide making a major statement in 2008 with a 34-10 win over Clemson, and starting out last year’s national title run with a 34-24 victory over Virginia Tech), but this year’s LSU doesn’t appear to be national title-good while this year’s North Carolina team has a defense with more talent than either of those two Tide teams (including last year’s version). The ACC took a decent step forward in the last game of 2009 with Virginia Tech whacking around Tennessee 37-14 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but that flew a bit too much under the radar to matter. In this game, North Carolina has to come out roaring with the culmination of several great recruiting classes by Butch Davis leading to a laughably-loaded stockpile of NFL defensive talent for pro scouts to drool over … even if some of the key parts might be missing. Of course, LSU has more than its share of future millionaires, too, and respect-wise, the program, and mostly head coach Les Miles, must show that all the talent isn’t going to waste. Considering the Tigers have won two national titles in the last seven years, going 17-9 in the last two seasons, and with Alabama taking over the role as the West’s alpha dog, the pressure is on to start strong. With the SEC schedule kicking off the week after against Vanderbilt, and with West Virginia and Florida looming a few weeks from now, a loss to the Tar Heels would set a full-blown blaze under the Miles hot seat. This is one of those special, tone-setting matchups that will be analyzed and used in a variety of conference vs. conference arguments throughout the rest of the year. If North Carolina wins, all of a sudden, the ACC looks like a league worthy of getting far more respect, and if LSU wins, it’s business as usual and all is right with the SEC’s world. Why LSU Might Win: Can North Carolina score? The Tar Heels finished 108th in the nation in total offense and 102nd in passing with most of the production coming against The Citadel and Georgia Southern. While the defense might be top notch, if LSU can put up some points early and force the UNC offense to try to get something going to catch up, there will be big problems. The UNC receivers might be better, but the passing game is hardly high-octane enough to do too much damage against Patrick Peterson and the loaded LSU secondary. After a disappointing season, and with the Tar Heel defense getting all the headlines, the LSU defense, especially the line, will be looking to show that things have changed. As good as the Tar Heel defense might be talent-wise, it needs to show it can shut a strong offense down cold. Why North Carolina Might Win: End Robert Quinn, tackle Martin Austin, corners Kendric Burney and Charles Brown, linebackers Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter, safety Deunta Williams … it’s not an overstatement to suggest that North Carolina has at least six defensive players who’ll go in the first round in the 2011 NFL Draft, and it’s not crazy to think that several other Tar Heels won’t be earning pro paychecks in the very near future. Even if some of them are ineligible (more on that in a moment), the defense is still loaded with great prospects and fantastic reserves. The LSU offensive line was underwhelming two years ago, a disaster last year, and is a potential problem early on this year if the pass protection isn’t far better. Facing an NFL defensive front with two of the possible top five picks in the draft in Quinn and Austin, it could be a long, long day for a line that’s hoping to be more physical and more effective on Day One. LSU allowed 37 sacks last year, while UNC led the ACC in sacks and was third in tackles for loss. Uh oh. What To Watch Out For: LSU QB Jordan Jefferson vs. the Tar Heel defense. However, Austin has been suspended indefinitely. Will Quinn be eligible? He’s having problems with the allegation that he received extra and improper academic help. It has been reported that Burney might not even be a part of the program anymore, while Brown is also in trouble. This has been a distraction, to say the least, but the defense should still be nasty enough to give the LSU offense problems. Thrown to the wolves as a true freshman, Jefferson came up with a decent final three games of the 2008 season as a caretaker for the attack, but he didn’t make any great strides with an inconsistent and banged up 2009. It’s not that he doesn’t have talent, and it’s not that he doesn’t have weapons around him, but he didn’t have any time to operate. Considering the lack of time and all the problems, he was surprisingly effective against some of the best defensive lines on the slate throwing for 202 yards against Penn State, 250 yards against Ole Miss, and 212 yards against Georgia. However, he had a nightmare of a time against Florida and was kept under wraps by Alabama. As good as the Gators and Tide were, Jefferson hasn’t faced anything like he’s about to deal with. If he comes up with a strong performance in a win, all of a sudden, LSU might look like a real, live threat to Alabama in the SEC West race.What Will Happen: North Carolina will establish its dominance early on defensively, but so will LSU. The special teams will be strong for both sides, each will come up with a few key takeaways, and each will miss on some big opportunities after getting stuffed by the other’s defense. The two defenses will be equally strong, but Jefferson will be the offensive difference maker as he connects on two big passes late to lead LSU to a very rough, very tough win for the SEC. CFN Prediction: LSU 17 … North Carolina 13 … Line: LSU -1 Must See Rating: Season Premiere: Keeping Up with the Kardashians 5 - Eat, Pray, Love 1 … … 5
Southern Miss (0-0) at South Carolina (0-0) Sept. 2, 7:30 ET, ESPN Here’s The Deal … For the third straight year, South Carolina opens the season on a Thursday night in front of a national TV audience. And for a third straight year, everyone is wondering if this is the season Steve Spurrier gets the Gamecocks into SEC contention. Sure, there have been moments over the last five years, but too few to consider his tenure in Columbia a success. Expectations are high again, which won’t go away as long as Spurrier is in charge. With East Carolina in rebuilding mode, there’s going to be a void at the Conference USA adult table. Southern Miss believes it’s poised to fill it. The Golden Eagles enter their third season with Larry Fedora on the sidelines, and have the right parts on offense and defense to finally get out of neutral. Not unlike this week’s host, Southern Miss has been steady for years, but is still waiting to break through and ascend beyond mediocrity. Why Southern Miss Might Win: The Eagles are a solid, experienced program that won’t unravel at the sight of Williams-Brice Stadium. It’s just not that kind of Conference USA team. The offense is diverse, reconnecting QB Austin Davis with SEC-caliber WR DeAndre Brown and unveiling an underrated stable of young backs to succeed Damion Fletcher. Under Fedora, who also worked for Florida in the past, Southern Miss will keep defenses on their heels with a mix of plays and formations. The defensive front seven will hold an edge on a questionable Gamecock offensive line, providing pressure all night from NT Anthony Gray, DE Cordarro Law, and LB Korey Williams. Why South Carolina Might Win: The Gamecock O-line may have issues, but on the other sideline, the problems are much bigger. Southern Miss is replacing four starters and has little experience, which will prompt defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson to dial up as much pressure as possible. South Carolina’s edge in the trenches will be pronounced, especially since powerful DT Travian Robertson is back from injury to join vets Cliff Matthews, Ladi Ajiboye, and Devin Taylor. The weak link of the Eagle D will be the secondary, which the ‘Cocks will exploit whenever possible. If QB Stephen Garcia can hit his stride, he’ll have no problem hooking up with receivers gifted Alshon Jeffery and Tori Gurley. What To Watch Out For: It’ll be worth paying close attention to No. 5 in the home uniform, South Carolina CB Stephon Gilmore. Not only will he be going stride-for-stride with the other team’s No. 5, Brown, but he could also take direct snaps in South Carolina’s “Wild Gamecock†formation. Just a true sophomore, he’s one of the rising young stars in the SEC. What Will Happen: This is a possible landmine game for South Carolina. And Spurrier knows it. The Golden Eagles will be prepared and jacked for the opportunity to make a national splash. The Gamecocks, however, will survive on the strength of the defense, which will dominate at the point of attack and help fuel an edge in turnover margin. The duel at quarterback between Garcia and Davis is an intriguing one, with both carrying interesting sub plots into the match up. CFN Prediction: South Carolina 27 … Southern Miss 20 … Line: South Carolina -14Must See Rating: Season Premiere: Keeping Up with the Kardashians 5 - Eat, Pray, Love 1 … 2.5
Arkansas State (0-0) at Auburn (0-0) Sept. 4, 7:00 Here’s The Deal … Get in, tune up, say healthy, and move on. Auburn has bigger fish to fry just a few days later in a Thursday night SEC battle against Mississippi State, but Arkansas State has the potential to be the Sun Belt champion and isn’t going to be a layup. It’ll take a special effort for the Red Wolves to pull off the major upset, but with a great offensive backfield and a strong linebacking corps Auburn has to show up. With a new starting quarterback and the hope to overcome an inconsistent year, the Tiger offense is looking to come out roaring like it did last year, while the hope is for the experience to shine through early on for a defense that needs to prove it can do more against the run. ASU kicks off its Sun Belt season against Louisiana next week, and while this isn’t exactly a game to use as a tune-up, any success will be a major plus. Why Arkansas State Might Win: The game might be fast. Auburn is going to want to get the ground game going, but it’ll do it with an up-tempo offense that will want to get into a rhythm. The same goes for ASU and an offense that’s going from highlighting the ground attack to using a more balanced, no-huddle style. If ASU can keep Auburn on its heels and mix things up a bit, a few early scores could keep this close late if the game moves along. If this becomes a grinding game, it favors Auburn. It won’t be that, and before Auburn knows it, it’ll be the middle of the third quarter and the pressure might be on. Why Auburn Might Win: ASU hasn’t blocked anyone in pass protection over the last three years. The quarterbacks have been mobile and have taken some sacks by trying to move around and make something happen, but the line hasn’t been a plus. This is a group built to shove people around for the ground game, but that’s not going to work against the Tiger defensive front that might be a bit of a question mark, but is extremely strong. With a good rotation expected in the front four, the Tigers should be regulars into the backfield and should ruin most plays before they get started. What To Watch Out For: Cameron Newton. The Auburn running backs will be the stars of the show with Onterio McCalebb, Mario Fannin, and star of the summer, top recruit Michael Dyer, all capable of coming up with big games, but everyone wants to see if Newton, a transfer from Florida, can be the type of quarterback who can take Auburn from good to special. The 6-6, 242-pound junior has phenomenal all-around talent with a live arm and great mobility, and if he can put it all together right away, it’s look out time for the rest of the SEC West. What Will Happen: Arkansas State had the best defense in the Sun Belt last year and is good enough this season to keep this close. Auburn has won its last four games against Sun Belt teams by a combined score of 190 to 21 (fine, so all four were against Louisiana-Monroe), and it’ll come out with a few big haymakers early on before sputtering a bit in the middle. The Tigers will win comfortably, but they won’t be able to take their foot off the gas. CFN Prediction: Auburn 41 … Arkansas State 17 … Line: Auburn -29 Must See Rating: Season Premiere: Keeping Up with the Kardashians 5 - Eat, Pray, Love 1 … … 2
As of this morning, UNC could have as many as 7 starters inelgible, including Austin, Quinn and several other potential NFL draft picks. Les will slip by again.
I am inclined to agree. But if LSU screws up and loses this game, then in the immortal words of Keith Jackson...WHOOOOOOAAAAAAAAA NELLIE!!!!!!
NOW PLAYING FOR NORTH CAROLINA, NO ONE. Joe Schad threw out sixteen as the number of players UNC could miss in Saturday's game against LSU, though the exact number remains to be seen and could be 1.6 as far as the rest of us know. If LSU manages to lose this game despite facing a UNC team functioning with one leg, one eye, and half a brain, Les Miles should just walk out of the building and into the middle of Marietta Street to play Headbutt Poker with oncoming traffic. He won't, but that's just what he should do if the unthinkable becomes the unbearable. We'd also advise LSU fans to drink heavily to cope, but redundancy man says that is redundant is redundant.
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