NBA Predicitons

Off the top of my head

Eastern Conference:
Atlantic Division
New Jersey: Best of a mediocre division
Boston: Pierce carries them
Philly: AI, Iggy, and who else? Webber's done
New York: Better than last year, but guard heavy team resembles intramural basketball more than the NBA
Toronto: young team that doesn't have the players or coach to run the Suns offense yet

Central Division:
Cleveland: Larry Hughes has a comeback year and Lebron just dominates
Detroit: Not as good as recent years but still a good nucleus
Indy: toughest division in the East. They just don't have a complete team
Milwaukee: Redd is the only guy I like on the roster

Southeast Division:
Miami: Obviously the class of the division
Washington: They need a better center but Gilbert, Caron, and Antawn are a good nucleus
Atlanta: QUIT SLEEPING ON THIS TEAM
Orlando: Seriously, I don't get the pub for this team. They have Dwight Howard and that's it.
Charlotte: Ugh what an awful lineup. They don't have one complete player.

Playoffs (no order): Cleveland, Miami, New Jersey, Washington, Detroit, Boston, Indy, Atlanta

Western Conference:
Northwest Division:
Minnesota: Class of the weakest division in the West. Garnett will dominate again
Denver: Don't let Kenyon Martin mess up a good thing. Will finally get some 2 guard production out of JR Smith and Demarr
Utah: Jerry Sloan constantly surprises me. If they stay healthy they have some pieces and you know they'll play hard
Seattle: In desperate need of experienced big men

Pacific Division:
Phoenix: They got Amare back plus the additions from last year. Outstanding team
LA Clippers: Cassell needs to stay healthy because Livingston isn't ready to take the reigns yet
Sacramento: Becoming a decent defensive team. Though they've made some weird draft picks recently
LA Lakers: Too many things could go wrong with this team
Golden State: At least Nelly coached teams are fun to watch.

Southwest Division:
San Antonio: You know unless Tim Duncan gets hurt
Dallas: I think they need a true shooting guard and an upgrade at center.
Houston: Like the offseason moves for the short term. Juwan Howard isn't getting it done at PF though
NO/Oklahoma City: Chandler should blossom, Paul is great, I'm not sold on everyone else.
Memphis: Early season slump withou Pau will keep them down all year in a competitive Western conference.

Playoffs (no order): Phoenix, Minnesota, Spurs, Mavs, Rockets, Clips, Kings, Denver

And a big welcome back to The Crafty Vet who made his predictions for the West and East.

Halloween TV Viewing

In the past Conan has tried some special shows. Every now and then they do a "state of the union" show where Conan makes a presidential like speech, they had one episode where everything on the show was represented by claymation, and to spook you this year, tonight's episode will be in Skelevision. Apparently Conan, the guests, the band, and the audience will all be skeletons. You can check out a preview of Skelevision on Conan's website. I wouldn't miss it. Also you can watch Borat's appearance on Letterman last night on DaveTV

And of course the NBA kicks off tonight on TNT. Chicago vs. Miami and then Phoenix and the Lakers. Since I did such an awful job last year, I'll try to come up with some better NBA season predictions later in the day. If you're NBA fan, check out ProSportsDaily's NBA section. They basically collect every newspaper column from around the nation about each team. I started checking the HoopsHype Rumors Section during the draft last year. I hope it's as good during the season, though there should be a lot of overlap from ProSportsDaily. Today I found article with Artest commenting on Sebastian Telfair getting robbed. Which includes this choice quote:

"I was very upset to hear that he got robbed like that," says the Sacramento Kings' Ron Artest, who grew up in the Queensbridge projects. "Anytime you're having fun there are going to be knuckleheads trying to take your jewelry. I guess you just have to stay away from the 'hood at night."

Those are words to live by my friends.

Volunteers?

So there is a Tennessee football blog called The 8th Maxim. They have a UT Coed of the Week feature that is archived here.

Week 9

Last Week: 2-3
Season: 26-15 (63%)

WISCONSIN -22 Illinois

Seriously, when the Badgers quit covering I'll quit picking them every week. The power of the Zook is not enough for me to jump off the bandwago

Texas -10.5 TEXAS TECH

I love Mike Leach and those crazy Red Raiders, but they just don't seem to have a very good team this year.

Kentucky -1 MISSISSIPPI STATE

Road game after a bye week playing a miserable Miss St. team. Hopefully the Wildcats aren't looking ahead to basketball season. They actually have a chance to make a bowl game this year. A win on Saturday would put them at 4 wins with home games against UGA, Vandy, and LaMonroe the next 3 weeks. Sadly, I must ask the question, which is the tougher game, Vandy or UGA?

GEORGIA TECH -5 Miami

If recent Tech history holds true, the laying down bad loss happened last week, which loosens them up to play well this week. Although they need to run the ball better or another receiver is going to have to step up. I'm gonna guess that the Hurricanes have the athletes to blanket Calvin Johnson.

Nebraska -5.5 OKLAHOMA STATE

I must have missed an injury or something because the Cowboys are awful. I wish Tommy Lee was still a Cornhusker. Those were the days.

Booh!

Slutty Haloween Costumes for that special lady in your life.




more here

The last batch

I've Got the Bird Flu

Here are the ESPN NBA experts short preview of the Hawks chances this year. Everyone has them 4th or 5th in the division and 13-15th in the conference. Sportsbook has the over/under on wins for the season at 28.5. And inspite of all this, I'm extremely excited about the upcoming season. The Hawks baby!

A running theme from the ESPN guys is that a lot of theme peg Josh Smith as a possible breakout candidate. Which may be true and he's definitely gifted. But these guys are all sleeping on Marvin Williams. Josh Smith is a crazy athlete with no real position or skill other than jumping. He could put up Gerald Wallace type numbers this year I guess, but he doesn't have a consistant enough shot to score night in and night out. Marvin Williams however is on track to be an All Star in a few years. He can do almost everything offensively. He can shoot, drive, pass, hit free throws etc. the only thing his game is lacking are some post moves. Josh Smith may have a better overall season, but come this spring when the playoff push is full swing I expect Marvin will be realizing his talents in front of the entire NBA.

I see the eventual lineup being either Claxton, Johnson, Marvin, Shelden, Zaza or Claxton, Johnson, Marvin, Zaza, Wright. Then you get to pull 2 great energy guys of the bench in Josh Smith and Childress plus a capable backup in Tyronn Lue. It looks like Salim and the resurrected Matt Freije with be used on nights when some instant offense is needed. I haven't seen the 7 foot Grecian Andreas Glyniadakis but he has to be better than John Edwards. Even without him, that's a nice little lineup and an improvement over last year.

So how do they stack up over the rest of the East, specifically the bottom half. You can check out the starting 5 for each team here. I'd say the Hawks are as good or better than Boston, Charlotte, Milwaukee, New York, the Hornets, Orlando, Philly, and Toronto. Leaving only Chi, Det, Miami, Wash, NJ, Indy and Cleveland as better. And it's entirely possible they'll finish better off than Washington or Indy. That's a legitimate shot at the playoffs. Plus for the first time in several years they've decided to not start the Hawks off with a 5 game Western road trip. A couple wins right off the bat could get this young team rolling.

This Hawks team is going to be frisky this year, and then extremely appealing during the 07-08 season.

Super Mario Brothers Theme

I'm not even sure if this guy is playing all of these sounds on the guitar, but I'll go ahead and assume he is and state that this is awesome

My dad owns a dealership bro!

So after a very long wait, Aqua Teen Hunger Force will have it's season premiere on Sunday night at 10:30 on Adult Swim. Followed by the "Frat Alien" episode which might be my favorite episode. You can catch a clip from it on youtube.

And while we're on the Adult Swim topic, I've watching and loving the Venture Brothers. I watched the first season and really go into it, and this season delivered as well. Although I'm still caught off guard sometimes when they make an extremely dirty joke. Unlike South Park and ATHF, Venture Brothers is drawn like a normal action cartoon so it's like hearing Johnny Quest making a bi-curious joke. The only thing that has started to bother me is that the Monk in Dr.Orpheus' gang is voiced by the same guy who does Master Shake. Thus making it impossible to listen to his character and follow the action. If you haven't seen the show, apparently it's by some of the same people who did The Tick. Patrick Warburton (Puddy from Seinfeld) is the "main" character's voice, but the whole show is great.

Finally, from the dork world, Gorillamask had a link to a Photoshop contest where people superimposed celebrities into the costumes/faces of Star Wars characters. There are a bunch but the Stewie/Yoda might be my favorite.



DP, the Frat Alien: Wake and bake, dude, wake and bake. Are you holdin?
Frylock: No.
DP, the Frat Alien: Did William Holden come to the party?
Frylock: No.
DP, the Frat Alien: You got Holden Caulfield in there, man?
Frylock: No, WE don't do that here.

Week 8

I listen to a fair amount of talk radio, watch PTI and Sportscenter, and check different websites. As a result, I can officially say that by the end of the week I'm usually exhausted by that week's big story. Although I'm amazed that people can create this fake vitriol in order to have something to talk about. The Miami/FIU brawl, Michael Vick bashing, and week in week out Terrell Owen's nonsense makes regret turning on the radio.

I honestly can't believe people care this much about the Miami brawl. First of all, FIU started the fight and then the Miami players retaliated and things escalated. So the guy using his helmet as a weapon should have probably been suspended for the rest of the season and supposedly another guy should have missed more games. End of story. There is nothing else to talk about. People who think Donna Shelalalala should be fired and the AD should be fired etc. are just bored. I was shocked to hear the normally logical Gene Wojciekowski say this yesterday. Give me a break. Are people really offended that some random player only received a one game suspension? How in the hell does that affect your life? It's not like Miami is competing for the MNC or even the ACC championship. If you have an axe to grind with Miami you should be happy. Lack of proper punishment only results in more unruly behavior. Hell, Auburn fans practically rejoiced when Mike Shula botched the suspensions of bama players earlier in the season. He practically insured that some player will get arrested for smoking pot during the next offseason.

At this point I've just learned to deal with Vick bashing. He's unconventional, it's impossible to figure out how much he helps the Falcons run game, his receivers suck but he's inaccurate, from my untrained eye his coordinator is mediocre at best. But every week in Atlanta it's a non-stop argument on the radio about his current abilities and his high end. I'm just tired of it. He's exciting to watch, and really that's all I care about. College ball is where it's at passion wise. When I watch the NFL I'm just hoping to see some great performances and win some money.

I wish shows would boycott certain stories. I'd be more inclined to listen to a show that refused to talk about TO. If I had a talk radio show I would boycott one story every week. It's so lame typical how the stories make the circle. I've heard every facet of the media this week talk about how Major League Baseball has allowed their licensing to be used on casks and urns. Which would possibly be a noteworthy story if we hadn't already discussed it when a bunch of colleges allowed it a few years ago and of course the KISS coffin. I just hate how lame stories are picked up and run with instead of discussing X's and O's.

Anyway, here are the picks:

Last Week: 5-0
Season: 24-12 (66%)

Ole Miss +21 ARKANSAS

I think Brent Schaeffer is starting to put the pieces together, as well as a Rebel program that has put together 3 good perfomances in a row. I don't really think they have a chance at winning but 21 points seems like a bit much for a one dimensional offense. I also like the fact that this is a 12:30 game. I can't imagine the Razorbacks will be extremely up for this matchup. That being said, this is a shakey pick at best. But in my defense, I heard a rumor that someone overheard the Orgeron at a restaurant this week say that "we won't lose another game this season". And when the Orgeron speaks...you listen.

South Carolina -4 VANDERBILT

Vandy's getting a lot of love coming off of their victory over UGA. South Carolina had an offweek allowing Syvelle Newton to just get that much better of a feel for the offense. I have no numbers to back this up, but from my experience, teams rarely play back to back great games, and an offweek is only good if you're next game is on the road. I'm taking the Spurrier.

Texas -5 NEBRASKA

The Cornhusker haven't done anything wrong this year other than losing to USC. Texas is in the same boat with the Ohio State loss. I'm not sure I trust the old Blackshirt defense yet though. I just don't see them getting Colt McCoy rattled. And though their offense is improved this year, Gene Chizik and the Longhornd defense keeps chugging along as one of the nation's best units.


Wisconsin -6.5 PURDUE

Until the Badgers fail to cover the spread I will contine to take them. I did the same thing with Purdue at the start of the 2004 season when Kyle Orton was lighting teams up. Plus they seem to be one of the noon games on ESPN every week which is always fun.

Oregon -3.5 WASHINGTON STATE

The Washington State defense has had some impressive games against inferior competition. However the Duck offensive attack is potent. I'm expecting Oregon to run all over WSU and win by 10 or so.

The D

So Tenacious D has a movie coming out November 17th called The Pick of Destiny (sound). You can preorder the soundtrack on iTunes but more importantly they have a free 3 minute skit you can download.

Jack: Let's kick it. I'll say kick it and you'll just kick it with a tasty groove, ok? 1... 2... 3... kick it. Kick it... c'mon god dammit God Kyle, could you one time kick it... what the fuck?

Kyle: Jack, don't put it all on me. I've been sittin' here waitin'

Jack: Ok, we've got a crucial, clutch cargo gig comin' up Kyle. You cocksucker! You don't give a shit and I've been sittin' around gettin' sick of your attitude. You fucker... Ya fuckin' bitch!

Barefoot Kickers

Kosterman has a new article on Page 2 about the disappearance of the barefoot kicker. Which is surprisingly, something I haven't noticed becoming an extinct act and I'm surprised that no one else has commented on it. I distincly remember trying to kick barefoot growing up and reallzing that I could never be a punter because it hurt my foot too much. You know, either that or my lack of leg power.

Unless someone was stealing jokes, I think he meant to credit Jim Gaffigan instead of Eddie Izzard at the end of the article. I remembered Gaffigan's bit from his Comedy Central special and then found it on Youtube.

Week 7: Redemption

Well it apparently takes about 5 days to get over an upsetting loss. When I say "get over" I don't mean to come to terms with what happened. I mean to temporarily forget about and instead get all pumped up for a new challenge. In truth, I'll remember that game for years and years and years. But right now I'm ready to give the pregame speech on Saturday. Which would be totally awesome. I'm pretty sure by the time I was done players would be crushing lockers with just mean stares. Either that, or I'd stutter and stammer my way through about half of what I had written down and the team would just feel sorry for me. Anyways, tomorrow is going to be fun. Big game atmosphere at it's best. Let's just hope I can remember my name by the time the 6:45 kickoff finally rolls around. Mental Note: only drink beer. Liquor is to be consumed inside the stadium.

Last Week 2-3
Season 19-12 (62%) just barely hanging in above my goal

AUBURN +2 Florida

Well let's start with the most important matchup. Florida's national championship hopes end here. There are a lot of reasons to like the Gators, but I'm chosing to ignore those. You know who gained the most yards in last weeks LSU/UF game? LSU 318-288. Not a huge advantage. But I think it's safe to say that LSU's five turnovers helped UF a little bit. Auburn? We're incapable of turning the ball over.

Unfortunately I had to watch the Razorbacks run all over my beloved Tigers last week in Jordan Hare as they've done periodically over the last decade or so. You know what Florida can't do? Run for power yards. Sure they'll get their share of QB draws and end arounds, but on 3rd and 4 they're not handing it off to the tailback. And has Tim Tebow not made a major mistake yet this year? I haven't seen it, well until tomorrow.

I expect to see defensive ends transformed into headhunters, wide receivers who resemble gazelles, Brandon Cox playing like Joe Montana but better, and Kenny Irons putting Barry Sanders to shame. Complete domination. And for my part, I will drink Crazy Joe under the table, steal his ticket, hotel room, and dancing girlfriend.

WAR DAMN EAGLE!


or it could be a really close game that Auburn really needs to pull out and we should thank the heavens for a win.

WISCONSIN -8 Minnesota

I'm riding the Badgers until they buck me. Fact of the day: Wisconsin passes well and Minnesota doesn't defend the pass. You can go ahead and add that little jewel to wikipedia.

Ohio State -14 MICHIGAN STATE

There are better bets than trying to cover 2 touchdowns on the road and I accept that. But I'm making this bet less because of the Buckeyes and more on the incomptence of the Spartans.

OREGON -9 University of California Los Angeles

Was the absolute upset of last weekend that Cal somehow managed to have uglier uniforms than Oregon? It took me about five minutes to realize that Cal were wearing the yellow uniforms. I'm told Autzen stadium is a tough place to play. That's cool. I really dont' have much to say about this. Doesn't UCLA look like a less impressive shool when you write the whole name out. Sounds like one of those third tier schools like University of Alabama Tuscaloosa.

Arizona -3.5 STANFORD

So does this game decide who the worst team in the PAC 10 is? Does Stanford have a home field advantage if they've never won in their new stadium? The Zona defense is at least decent so I'm giving them the nod. Stanford should stick to racking up cross country and ping pong national championships.

Those are the picks supplied with every ounce of bravado that I could muster up. Enjoy the weekend.

Pregame

I'm not going to lie. I'm a sucker for the pregame montage before a big sporting events. I don't think they've changed the one for the Masters in like 10 years but all it takes is one shot of Magnolia Lane for me to get all excited.

Well if you can't wait until Saturday, here's this weekend's ESPN intro for the Auburn/Florida game courtesy of the Irish Round Table. I have no idea why they have it.

And for the record, Kenny Irons it too good not to break out a big game since the Washington State game. It won't definitely happen this weekend, but a 170 yard game is coming.

the line

AUBURN -1 Florida

Started off around AU -2.5. I'm curious why this hasn't moved more. I can see Auburn fans and some football experts thinking this is an accurate line, but why isn't the rest of the nation loading up on the Gators? Is it too early in the week. Personally I saw the opening line and figured I"d wait until Friday when UF was favored by 3.

Quick analysis: Completely different game than last week. Florida can't run the ball like Arkansas. That'd be my first thought. But Auburn has shown me no reason to believe over the last 4 years that they aren't susceptible to option, misdirection, and trick plays. I'd expect that Auburn will return to their more traditional 4-3 line up with the DE's running full speed in a hit or miss fashion. I expect Florida to hit some big plays but not so much on the long controlling the clock drives.

Auburn's offense? My silly roommate thinks Auburn has been playing not to lose. That may have been the case in the LSU game, but it's been anything but that in the USC and Arky games. Run more. And when you don't run the ball, only play action is acceptible unless it's 3rd and long. Don't worry about throwing to Courtney Taylor too much until INTs start popping up. Two back set with Lester and Irons. Tommy Trott can't block anyway so there's no point in running a 2 TE set for more protection.

I really have no idea what to expect from this game. I'd imagine that Borges realizes that he's got to really improve his play calling this week, I just hope he doesn't try to get too cute and try another HB pass to Brand Cox like he did last week. Keep it simple. Play field position, clock management, and hope our special teams return to their early season dominating fashion.

The State

If you're an old MTV junkie like myself, you'll love that iTunes now has Season 1 of the State available for download. It's only 5 episodes, but it's a start. If you don't remember The State, it was an off the wall sketch comedy show. Cast members have been prominently involved in Viva Variety, Reno 911, Stella, and Wet Hot American Summer. Of whom, Michael Ian Black is probably the most famous. Who by thy way is apparently the new editor (or something like that) for Cracked Magazine.


Anyways, here's the Louie "I wanna dip my balls in it" skit.

Week 6: Pep in my Step

Last week I reminded myself of an all important lesson. There is no lock of the week. I made a point to tell several people that Syracuse could unfortunately only be my lock of the week because I've already used up my lock of the century for the 2000's. The Orange won and they covered at home against Wyoming. But it was a 2nd overtime miracle in which Wyoming failed to score on the first posession and somehow Cuse didn't play for the FG and actually got 6. Teams come out flat, injuries happen, freak plays, etc. Personally, I've finally realized to bet the same amount on every game. If you think you've really got an edge betting a certain team, then limit your bets to that team, raise the stakes, but bet the same amount every time. I've proven over time that I can't necessarily tell you what and how to bet. But I can definitely tell you how not to. Don't let anger, greed, or any emotions come into play.

Last Week: 5-0
Season: 17-9

WISCONSIN -20.5 Northwestern

The one flaw in my betting/picks is that there could be a very significant injury in this game and I'd have no clue other than the line being especially low. For example, Auburn's starting center got hurt last week so a redshirt sophomore will be taking the reigns this week against a usually tough Arkansas defensive line. This scares me some. Center might be the most underrated position in football. I say all of this because I have nothing to say about the UW/NW matchup. If the Badgers center blew out his knee I'd have no clue. This is based solely on previous performances this year.

Clemson -17 WAKE FOREST

I can't figure out who the toughest team Wake has played so far is. The choices are Cuse, Duke, UConn, Ole Miss, and Liberty. I'm throwing Liberty out and history would say Ole Miss or Syracuse. I guess there's the outside shot that it's Uconn. Point being, they haven't played anybody in Clemson's league yet. I'm assuming the Tigers won't look ahead to their matchup against Temple next week and will win by at least 21.

AUBURN -15.5 Arkansas

I originally stayed away from this pick. But then you remember that the Hogs suck on the road. They were able to luck their way into a win over bama and other than that have been mediocre or awful. Auburn has some issues with injuries, but they also have to tune up for Florida and the pollsters. The game is 11am Central time which would normally worry me, but for some reason Auburn has decided for class scheduling purposes that it's better to practice at 7am on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. So the early wake up call shouldn't be a problem for the Tigers. My biggest worry is that Auburn will stick with the run if they can manage and hold off another week on unveiling a passing attack worth a damn. Which would be my biggest argument with the season so far. At some point you have to let Brandon Cox and the WR's get some reps and get into a rhythm. Work on being physical, grinding it out, and being balanced in the 2nd half. The first quarter should be treated like a two minute drill.

West Virginia -20.5 MISSISSIPPI STATE

So Auburn blows Miss St. out in Starkville by 34, LSU beats them by 31 in Baton Rouge after removing their starters and a lightning delay, and when another top 10 team comes to town the line is 20.5? I'm confused by this one. If the Mountaineers have a weakness it's their defense which MSU is woefully unprepared to take advantage of on Saturday.

Louisiana State +1.5 FLORIDA

For people who want to bring up last year's game, let's remember the facts, Florida only gained 206 total offensive yards and was only in the game because of 5 Tiger turnovers. And Urban Meyer cried after the game. I wouldn't count on 3 fumbles again this year. And it's entirely possible that LSU's defense is better this year. I really have trouble seeing a way that Florida can win other than some long gamebreaker style plays. LSU has flaws, I just don't know if Florida has the matchups to exploit them. I fully expect LSU to win by 14.

I may end up taking GT -14 and Tennessee -2.5 but both worry me. I can't imagine Tech actually losing, but I could see them coming out flat, Reggie throwing a couple of picks, and the Yellow Jackets only winning by 10-14. From what I've seen on the field Tenn. should definitely be victorious in Athens on Saturday. But my logical side worries about the talented Dawg defense, primetime homefield advantage, and what not. Plus Joe T III at least know how to audible into a proper run call which I'm not sure Stafford and Cox have figured out yet. Plus, how can you trust Ainge at this point?

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Interesting note for fans of Studio 60 from Defamer.com:

"While the fictional Studio 60 triumphantly added 9 percent to its promising premiere numbers and temporarily got monotone, constantly half-smiling network president Jordan McDeere off the hot seat, the real Studio 60 was down 17 percent in the key demo from last week and 30 percent from its first episode. NBC president Kevin Reilly is probably not kissing Aaron Sorkin on the cheeks and thanking him for saving his job quite yet. {Variety]"

As I orignially suspected, this show has one flaw. The show within a show is not funny. The cast members or sketches just aren't funny. Cause you know, if they were, they'd be on Saturday Night Live.

Digital Rights Management

So there's thing called Digital Rights Management. Which basically means that new media such as DVDs, CDs, Video Downloads will start being encoded with DRM. Which will prevent you from burning, transferring, and generally limiting what you can do with the files. You can read a short recap from the Best Week Ever blog. If you want the real deal Holyfield report check out DRM Info.

I wish I could quit you...

Some couples buy a house. Christian Laettner and Brian Davis are buying an NBA franchise together.

Hypotheticals

- It'd be interesting to see how UGA fans would react if the the Dawgs lost 5 of their last seven games. I'm not saying it will happen, but if this QB situation explodes even more and some unfortunate injuries occur UGA could drop games against UT, UF, @ UK, @ AU, and GT. Richt should definitely get a pass, but I'd be very curious to see how Dawg supporters would react. I think they lose at least 3 of those games and possibly 4. 5 would be a complete meltdown.

- When is Georgia Tech going to lay the egg that we're all expecting? In reality, it could very well be Miami. Which is saying something that I now think Tech should be favored in that game. Though it could still be rationalized. So will they beat Maryland, NC State, UNC and Duke? They better. Then that leaves Clemson, Miami, and UGA to 2 out of 3 from and go 10-2. That'd be a hell of a turn around for Gailey/Ball over the last 3 years.

- I'm not very impressed with Florida. I expect them to lose their next two ball games. Then in the east my question would become who would win the LSU/UT game that would basically decide the East if UT beats UGA. If UT beats UGA and then loses to LSU, it'll be a mess again.

- I wouldn't be surprised if Clemson ran the table from here on out. A home game against GT, a game in Blacksburg, and a trip to face the Gamecocks in Columbia are their toughest tests. They need BC to lose another game to reach the Championship game, but if they made it, they would have likely already beaten whomever they face. I'm assuming Miami won't make it.

- I'm very cautiously optimistic about the Auburn/Arkansas game. If they dedicate themselves to playing a ball control power running game, and Auburn doesn't try hard enough to exploit their secondary, this could be way to close of a game. Auburn could also win by 35. Sidenote, because of other games and traveling to and from games, I haven't actually seen Arkansas play this year.

- LSU is playing the bruising fullback role for Auburn's season. Auburn got demolished physically by LSU and several players are still rehabbing injuries from that game. So who do Florida and Alabama play the week before Auburn? LSU. And as much as I'd like for both of those games to be easy wins, I doubt they will be.