Can We Please Ruin the Super Bowl?

[Townhallsavoy]

In the Deep South, when it comes to college football this season, there is only one date that matters. You say it and everyone knows the meaning. Doesn't matter whether you are in Bayou La Batre, Ala., or Baton Rouge, La.

November 5.

Simple as that.

This is the date LSU plays Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium. It's Ali-Frazier, Borg-McEnroe, Yankees-Red Sox all wrapped into one. It's the game of the year in college football, unless you have the licensing rights to the phrase "Bedlam'' and live in Oklahoma.

It may very well be one of the most significant regular season games in modern times.

"This is like having a Super Bowl in midseason,'' said Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN's lead college football analyst. "Everywhere I go in the country, people are talking about it, including the coaches.''

If you don't already have your tickets and want to be inside the stadium, be prepared to pay. One Alabama ticket broker currently lists four tickets on the 40-yard line (row 12) for $925 apiece. That's $3,720 (including shipping) for your average family of four. So much for the economic slowdown.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that life goes on for the rest of the SEC. So far this season, it's been a big snore with few close games. It seems like one mega-game is sucking the life out of nearly every other contest. Take last weekend for example. I agree with him on this paragraph though.

LSU visited Tennessee at Neyland Stadium. LSU was a 17 ½ point favorite and won 38-7. There was a time when Tennessee football was taken seriously. Former quarterback Peyton Manning was in the house hoping to see a miracle.
 
By the fourth quarter, most UT fans still had plenty of leg room to stretch out. In fact, most had entire sections to themselves as the majority of the fans left wore purple. If things don't improve quickly under second-year coach Derek Dooley, he is a goner.

Meanwhile, Alabama traveled to Oxford to play Ole Miss. The trip is always a fan favorite for Tide followers because of the ambience of The Grove and the fun-loving Ole Miss fans, who don't brag about titles (their last SEC crown was in 1963). Instead they fight back with: "We may not win every game, but we've never lost a party."

Alabama was favored by 28 and won 52-7. It could have been worse. I know SEC Commissioner Mike Slive is intent on adding one more school -- most likely Missouri -- to go along with Texas A&M in the game of expansion roulette. Hey Commish, have you thought about dumping a few instead?

So let's do the math. The league's top two teams hit the road and won by a combined margin of 90-14. Shame on me for making fun of the Big Ten a few weeks ago for having too many weak teams and lackluster games.

The SEC schedule makers have traditionally made either the third Saturday in October (or sometimes the fourth) one of the grand days of the autumn calendar. You get the SEC's most storied rivalry, Alabama vs. Tennessee, in either the late afternoon or early evening slot, with the leaves turning outside the stadium in a kaleidoscope of vivid colors. The other headliner is Auburn-LSU, which usually has major implications as well.

Honestly, does anyone outside of Alabama, Louisiana or Tennessee care about either game this year? Vegas has Alabama favored by 29 and LSU by 21 --which dipped slightly Wednesday following the suspension of three LSU starters. CBS recently signed a new 15-year, multibillion dollar deal. The last four weeks, the network's top crew of Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson has called Arkansas-Alabama, Alabama-Florida, Florida-LSU and LSU-Tennessee. Alabama beat Arkansas 38-14 and Florida 38-10. LSU beat Florida 41-11 and Tennessee 38-7. The most important person at CBS Sports isn't the high-priced on-air talent. It is the poor intern who feeds Verne and Gary with the filler material to (attempt to) entertain an increasingly somnolent audience after the game has ceased being interesting.

The SEC can claim five straight BCS titles and six out of the last eight. It may add another in January. However the greatness of the two schools at the top has at times dwarfed the rest of the league this season, even though the SEC currently has six teams in the AP Top 25 and three in the top 10.

These SEC mismatches are like watching Tony Bennett and Andrea Bocelli fighting it out with the other 10 coyote-howling finalists of American Idol. So has the anticipation for one great game -- well, make that one of the games of the century -- ruined it for everyone else?

We are reminded every week by the talking heads that, "There is plenty of football left to be played." Oh really? Down in Dixie there is a mildly interesting race between South Carolina and Georgia to determine who gets to be the SEC East's representative in Atlanta. The winner becomes the latest sacrificial lamb to lose to either Alabama or LSU by 35 points.

But that's a long way off.

For now, it's on to Nov. 5. That's a phrase you will hear early and often the next two weeks. You better get used it.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/paul_finebaum/10/20/sec/index.html#ixzz1bNan9YDL

It'd be the ultimate slap in the face from last year.  Those stank-ass corndogs were some of the biggest protesters of Cam Newton's eligibility, and they failed to tarnish Auburn's championship run. 

I want revenge.  I want to look at their "Cam Newton" season and say, "Sorry, not for you."  "Sorry.  November 5th is just another game."  "Sorry.  The hype as always is overdone."  "Sorry.  Auburn won." 

[BZ770]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2173451

This reminded me of the time Rick Clausen beat LSU in 2005.  This happened after Katrina and was Clausen's highlight of his career.

[jmar]

YES...from October 16th.

It isn't too far fetched to compete with the likes of LSU if we can get Blake and Mason back, get off to a decent start, grab a couple of turnovers and eliminate the personal fouls.

Would love to see our team whip LSU and sabotage the November 5th clash of the titans scenario for the media honks.
"What happened?"
"Fuckin' Auburn... AGAIN!"



And here again, it's JMO but...

We can opt to go gunslinger out of the gate,  but once we go to ball control, clock management it will look like playing not to lose. It's a double edged sword and it worked for Tubs on many occaision but I'm not a fan of this with a young team. I want us trying to advance the ball on first down aggressively and even taking some shots deep, might get an interferrence call, who knows.

We have to be able to run the ball to compete and pass (and catch) the ball to win. Three converted plays would have changed the complexion of the Arkansas game for us...but not for Petrino, he would still be free wheeling. I'm not saying we should always take his approach I just don't want us to go in a shell against a team with a shitload of playmakers that can make you pay.

We all get excited when we see Dyer break one and the offensive line has that spring in their step and then we go wide and lose 5 yards. Then Frazier comes in to run.

It might work for the Mount Olive 90 # football team but it can't against Chavous' bunch.

I don't beat up on our kids when they fail. I reserve my frustration for those that get paid...it's the only way I know how to view a game critically. It's never one play. It's the third and 6 off tackle call (and punt) from the previous possession that failed, or the preceeding call.

Outmanned ?  Coach smarter!   
Though sometimes it just isn't enough.
And I can always handle that as a fan.


   

[Kaos]

YES...from October 16th.

It isn't too far fetched to compete with the likes of LSU if we can get Blake and Mason back, get off to a decent start, grab a couple of turnovers and eliminate the personal fouls.

Would love to see our team whip LSU and sabotage the November 5th clash of the titans scenario for the media honks.
"What happened?"
"Fuckin' Auburn... AGAIN!"



And here again, it's JMO but...

We can opt to go gunslinger out of the gate,  but once we go to ball control, clock management it will look like playing not to lose. It's a double edged sword and it worked for Tubs on many occaision but I'm not a fan of this with a young team. I want us trying to advance the ball on first down aggressively and even taking some shots deep, might get an interferrence call, who knows.

We have to be able to run the ball to compete and pass (and catch) the ball to win. Three converted plays would have changed the complexion of the Arkansas game for us...but not for Petrino, he would still be free wheeling. I'm not saying we should always take his approach I just don't want us to go in a shell against a team with a shitload of playmakers that can make you pay.

We all get excited when we see Dyer break one and the offensive line has that spring in their step and then we go wide and lose 5 yards. Then Frazier comes in to run.

It might work for the Mount Olive 90 # football team but it can't against Chavous' bunch.

I don't beat up on our kids when they fail. I reserve my frustration for those that get paid...it's the only way I know how to view a game critically. It's never one play. It's the third and 6 off tackle call (and punt) from the previous possession that failed, or the preceeding call.

Outmanned ?  Coach smarter!   
Though sometimes it just isn't enough.
And I can always handle that as a fan.


 

You don't say much.  But when you do? 

I never know what in the fuck you're talking about. 

Stay sparkly, my friend.

[Townhallsavoy]

You don't say much.  But when you do? 

I never know what in the fuck you're talking about. 

Stay sparkly, my friend.

TS Eliot took notes from jmar's remediation class. 

[Snaggletiger]

Yep.  Flipping channels last night and can't recall what sports show it was but there were two analysts talking about a game...with a Bama and LSU helmet in front of them.  I thought, LSU plays #20 Auburn this weekend and Bama has probably their 2nd biggest rival.  I know with UT's injuries and lack of depth, it probably won't be much of a game.  Plus, LSU is obviously a heavy favorite to beat AU despite the suspensions.  BUT...this IS the SEC those games have to be played before the Super Bowl can take place.

Wasn't it a few short years ago when THE Ohio State and Meatchicken was the most anticipated game of all time....and the two would proabably be matched up again in the BCS Championship game regardless of the outcome?

[Townhallsavoy]

Yep.  Flipping channels last night and can't recall what sports show it was but there were two analysts talking about a game...with a Bama and LSU helmet in front of them.  I thought, LSU plays #20 Auburn this weekend and Bama has probably their 2nd biggest rival.  I know with UT's injuries and lack of depth, it probably won't be much of a game.  Plus, LSU is obviously a heavy favorite to beat AU despite the suspensions.  BUT...this IS the SEC those games have to be played before the Super Bowl can take place.

Wasn't it a few short years ago when THE Ohio State and Meatchicken was the most anticipated game of all time....and the two would proabably be matched up again in the BCS Championship game regardless of the outcome?

Yep. 

And both got blown out in their bowl games. 

[Buzz Killington]

I'd much rather ruin it in November.

[AUChizad]

I'd much rather ruin it in November.

I'd much rather ruin it before the "Super Bowl" and then ruin it more in November.

[Snaggletiger]

So, when we wind up 10-2 and go back to Atlanta to face an obviously inferior opponent from the East, do you think we make the MNC Game again?  I'll hang up and listen.

[ssgaufan]

So, when we wind up 10-2 and go back to Atlanta to face an obviously inferior opponent from the East, do you think we make the MNC Game again?  I'll hang up and listen.

I like the way you're thinking!

[Buzz Killington]

So, when we wind up 10-2 and go back to Atlanta to face an obviously inferior opponent from the East, do you think we make the MNC Game again?  I'll hang up and listen.

HAAAYYYYY PAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWL...dem Aubies done thank thay gon beat them Tahgars and ussns too!!!

[Snaggletiger]

I hope the BCS takes into account that we had half our players injured and we were playing with 18 true freshmen and Clemson and Arkansas only beat us when we're down and those two losses really don't count and we're really 7-0 right now and we've just been waiting on Moseley so we can turn it on.   

[GH2001]

HAAAYYYYY PAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWL...dem Aubies done thank thay gon beat them Tahgars and ussns too!!!

I seriously chortled