Week 12: What Happened To You On Saturday?

Published November 22, 2011 - 7:12am

NEW: Discuss this topic in the Google+ community for SEC fans.

Recappin’ the weekend of action with a little attitude…

SEC, as Easy as 1,2,3

Now you’re just showing off.  After cruising to easy victories LSU, Alabama and Arkansas hold the top 3 spots in the BCS standings.  All three teams are from the SEC.  All three teams are from the SEC West.

#1 LSU, #2 Alabama and #3 Arkansas are sitting pretty, but they all have some work left to do this weekend.

Life Ain’t Fair

They crushed Oregon on a neutral field to open the season. They traveled to Morgantown and beat the West Virginia Hill People in their trailer. They edged out Alabama in the House that Bear Built. After all that LSU has to beat Arkansas, the #3 team in the country, just to get a shot to play in the SEC Championship.  The good news for LSU is that Arkansas is good, not great and a win will likely clinch a spot for them in the BCS Championship game.  Even if the Tigers lose to Georgia in the SEC Championship game, which will never happen, ever, they likely have done enough to secure a spot above the teams like Oklahoma State and Stanford.

Georgia Clinches SEC East!

On the All-Time Accomplishment Rankings, “2011 SEC East Champion” ranks between “Member of the Boy Band, O-Town” and “Appeared in Girls Gone Wild Twice”.  Georgia is a 5 in a room full of 3’s.  Don’t be shocked if they finish the season with a 3-game losing streak.  But hey, it could be much worse.  You could be Florida, who had to come from behind against Furman simply to gain bowl eligibility.

Alabama Returns to the Scene of the Crime

Alabama makes their first trip to Auburn since Tree-pocalypse last February.  There will be a lot of hate brewing in that game.  Alabama should cruise, but keep an eye on this one.  Logic and predictability goes out the window whenever you pack this many liquored up crazies into one place.  Hide your daughters and your potted plants.

SEC Game of the Week: Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt

Perhaps overlooked in the midst of Oregon-USC, Baylor-Oklahoma, and FSU-Virginia was Tennessee’s thrilling OT victory over Vanderbilt.  I was actually watching this game because I had Tennessee in my SEC survivor pool, yet I found myself cheering for Vandy.  I’ll be honest, I love this Vanderbilt team, and I love them -1.5 at Wake Forest this weekend, but that’s neither here nor there.

Both me and the Volunteers benefited from Vanderbilt mistakes like all 3 interceptions by Aaron Rodger’s little brother to the running into the kicker call that allowed UT to turn a missed FG into a TD.  The kill shot was Rodger’s 3rd INT that was returned 90 yards for a TD.  Game over.

Tennessee finally got Tyler Bray back from a broken thumb.  (If I was ranking SEC injuries in terms of damage done to their team this season I would go 1. Marcus Lattimore’s knee 2. Knile Davis’ ankle 3. Tyler Bray’s thumb.)  Bray didn’t play great, but it was nice to see him back out there.
It was a rough loss for the nerds at Vanderbilt, but fear not, next week you’re heading to Wake Forest, which is an actual forest of nerds, and a win over those geeks puts you in a bowl game.  You got this.

By the way, has anyone ever seen James Franklin and Shaka Smart at the same place at the same time?

Florida is Bowl Eligible!

On the All-Time Accomplishment Rankings, “Came From Behind Against Furman to Gain Bowl Eligibility” ranks between “Dumped Mom to Date Sister” and “Accidently let Pet Snake Swallow Your Baby”.

Furman, a school named after the racist cop from the OJ Simpson trial, led Florida 22-7 at the end of the 1st quarter and it appeared the Will Muschamp reign over Florida would be shorter than a Kim Kardashian marriage (but longer than a Kim Kardashian sextape, if you’re a glass is half-full kind of guy).   That was until John Brantley took over, which shouldn’t have surprised anyone since Brantley became the Gatorade National Player of the Year at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala playing against this same caliber of defense.  If you are a corner at a 1-A Florida Private School, John Brantley will pick you apart.

The win puts Florida in a bowl game which is projected to be the Gator Bowl against Nebraska.  That sure thing loss along with the sure thing loss to Florida State this week will give Florida an old fashion losing season.   But hey, good luck with the new job, Urban.

Week 12 A-Team

LSU, Alabama and Arkansas – Holding the top 3 spots in the BCS standings is irrefutable proof that there is the SEC and then there is the rest of college football.

What They Meant to Say

“Everyone thinks we’re sitting in the best spot since we won’t have to play in the SEC Championship game and could still play in BCS Championship game, but they forget that we are going to Auburn for the first time since the Toomer’s Corner Tree assassinations.  Do you think that is a safe place for a football team to be?” – Nick Saban, Alabama Head Coach

“It’s easier to fire judges on the Supreme Court than it is to fire me.” – Mark Richt, Georgia Head Coach

“But I just — with his deteriorating health there and his family, as important as that is to him, I wouldn’t think he would. But, again, that’s just my opinion.” – Will Muschamp, Florida Head Coach on rumors Urban Meyer will take over at Ohio State (This one is very real and very awesome)