There's no sense in ignoring the elephant in the room. This is a MONSTER week in college football highlighted by the single biggest regular-season game the 5-at-10 can remember. That's right, UT-MTSU is simply that big — why else would they move it to prime time, which all things considered is dumber than letting Bruce Pearl teach an ethics course.
So from the "Al Davis Studios," here we go with the extra-special, if-this-is-not-enough-college-football-for-you-then-we-don't-know-what-to-do version of the show...
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Trent Richardson (3) runs through the line during of an NCAA college football game against the Alabama Crimson TideSaturday, Oct, 22 2011 in Tuscaloosa Ala. (AP Photo/John Bazmore)Photo by Associated Press /Chattanooga Times Free Press.
A man's game
LSU visits Alabama in an 8 p.m. kickoff that is the rarest of sports event — there's no way to over-hype this game. Think about it, since each team had an open date last Saturday, we've had two weeks to get ready for The Showdown just like the Super Bowl. But somehow, this game does not feel over-played, you know?
That said, hopefully you saw our SEC ace David Paschall's excellent breakdown of the top-notch NFL prospects in The Showdown here http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/02/lsu-alabama-game-full-of-nfl-prospects/.
OK, deep breaths, deep breaths... The 5-at-10 loves the draft. You know this. The 5-at-10 loves big-time college football. You know this, too. This is a story that combines both. Moment of silence (and talk among yourselves as we re-read Paschall's article, we'll give you a topic — If an atheist believes in nothing does an anythiest believe in everything?).
OK, we're back, and we're pumped. Here's our view of the studs in the game:
First off we love Barkevious Mingo because there's no way he won't be a big-time pass-rusher in the NFL. That said, Dre Kirkpatrick is a special, special player. He's a 6-foot-3 cornerback. Read that again. In a world of tweener DBs and 6-4 receivers, Kirkpatrick is the future, ladies and gentleman. Not unlike how the left tackle became paramount in protecting the QB in a pass-happy NFL, pass-rushers and cover corners are the defensive now and ever after of the pass-happy NFL.
And, as one NFL scout told Paschall, there are five future NFL corners in Saturday's Showdown in Tuscaloosa. (Yes, five, and the Honey Badger may be the least-attractive NFL prospect among them.)
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Georgia running back Isaiah Crowell (1) stiff arms Florida cornerback Cody Riggs (31) during the first half of an NCAA football game on Oct. 29 in Jacksonville, Fla.Photo by Associated Press /Chattanooga Times Free Press.
A fine time for suspensions
The University of Georgia faces an overmatched New Mexico State team Saturday. It should be Georgia's seventh consecutive win and continue a turnaround that could go from an 0-2 start to a 10-win season. That would be well-played indeed.
That said, the timing of the suspensions of running backs Isaiah Crowell, Carlton Thomas and Ken Malcome seems a little, shall we say, convenient. Coupled with the injury to back-up runner Richard Samuel, Georgia will turn to fifth-string running back and former walk-on redshirt sophomore Brandon Harton, who had 11 carries for 33 yards against Coastal Carolina (a team that needs more dogs).
Heck, this now makes the start of the UGA-New Mexico State game must listen-to radio. The 5-at-10 wants to hear UGA play-by-play guy Scott Howard say, "Now starting at running back for the University of Georgia, well, who is that guy? I don't have a number on him. Is that a 1 or a 4? Forget it."
Let's put it this way, if you're in a college football fantasy league, this would be a good week to start UGA quarterback Aaron Murray, who figures to post some serious stats considering the UGA offensive plan is to a) throw it with an all-SEC quarterback; b) run it with an all-SEC quarterback; c) hand it off to some guy that three months ago was the No. 1 pick in the UGA intramural flag league.
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Have the Vols hit rock bottom?
The 5-at-10 has tried to be objective in the analysis of second-year UT football coach Derek Dooley. His resume is a Rorschach test, a dueling diet of daily dichotomies.
The Vols have had bad injuries, but everyone has bad injuries and players miss games. (And in truth, do we know that Tyler Bray is ready to beat a good team? He lost to UNC in the bowl game and beat Cincinnati. Other than drubbing the baby seals of college football, what else has he done?)
The Vols have had bad breaks, but the breaks are what you make of them.
The Vols have had huge roster turnover, but that's not as rare as some orange-colored-glasses-wearing fans may think. Auburn replaced 35 lettermen from last year's team; Georgia, Florida and Vandy are all turning to a litany of young players.
But this morning, our ace columnist Mark Wiedmer stated his case for more time before judging Dooley here http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/02/vols-hopes-rest-in-win-over-dores/, and Mark is right that 2/3 into Year 2 is mighty early to make an overall judgement.
Whether you think Dooley is in so far over his head his nose bleeds from 10 a.m. Monday to 7:30 Friday night every week or if you think Dooley will have a nickname that will be on a street sign in Knoxville, you are entitled to your opinion. And since we're talking about something as passion-filled as college football, there's little chance of anyone changing your opinion. And that's OK.
But Wiedmer offered up that the Vandy game this year will make or break UT's season, and he's right of course. A win over Vandy likely holds UT's bowl hopes, and with a young team that extra time is paramount.
That said, if you're a UT fan the fact that beating Vandy — something that has been as much a November ritual as falling leaves and turkey on Thanksgiving — is a) an unknown, and b) holding the postseason hopes of the program is a sad statement indeed.
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This and that
— The NBA season was supposed to start Tuesday. Did you miss it? Pay attention NBA folks, the sporting fans will find something else to do. Trust us on this.
— Frank McCourt has said he's willing to sell the L.A. Dodgers. As a lifelong Dodgers fan, the 5-at-10 is elated about this news. Here's hoping Mark Cuban wants to buy the club. Baseball needs some energy, and if there's one thing Cuban brings in energy. By the truck load.
— The Big East is officially the awkwardly shy kid in class that has a party and invites everyone. Repeat: EVERYONE. Not just everyone in class, but everyone in every class. All are welcome. As the Big East looks to find some stability, it even invited Boise State and Colorado-located Air Force to join the Big East in football. That's right, Idaho... in the Big EAST. Hey, Big East, UTC could be interested. Or Baylor School. Or Orchard Knob Middle. Keep floating invites and someone has to show up, right?
— An Illinois congressman compared the NCAA to the mafia. OK, stop it. First, that's an insult to the mafia. The mafia handled their BID-ness and they did it behind the scenes and outside the eye of the media (that is until John Gotti started to fall in love with the spotlight and that helped bring the mafia down). Second, no one giggled and snickered at the mafia like they do at the NCAA. The NCAA is toothless, more a one-bullet Barney Fife that slaps wrists when brass knuckles are called for. How do you think the mafia would handle a member of the family insulting "this thing of ours" like THE Ohio State or Miami did in recent months? Here's how — THE Ohio State would be sleeping with THE fishes.
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Today's question
Playing off the "huge" UT-Vandy showdown that is looming in two weeks, we'll ask you this:
If you are a Vandy fan, would you trade James Franklin for Derek Dooley? If you are a Vols fan, would you trade Dooley for Franklin?
Discuss, and here's saying the results may not be pretty for the pro-Dooley Johnny Vols Fans.
Jay was named the Sports Editor of the Times Free Press in 2003 and started with the newspaper in May 2002 as the Deputy Sports Editor. He was born and raised in Smyrna, Ga., and graduated from Auburn University before starting his newspaper career in 1997 with the Newnan (Ga.) Times Herald. Stops in Clayton and Henry counties in Georgia and two years as the Sports Editor of the Marietta (Ga.) Daily Journal preceded Jay’s ...
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From the "Al Davis Studios," here we go...
From the "Al Davis Studios," here we go...
It's Friday and that means four things: EC is making plans as to where he's going to watch two guys ...
Does anyone else think Dooley sometimes wonders, "I gave up being a lawyer ... for this?"
As far as the 1-2 matchup this weekend goes, my favorite previous such encounter might be the Florida State at Notre Dame game, a grippingly good game. Which Notre Dame followed up by losing to Boston College on a last second field goal. They have not been relevant since. I do not think the same fate befalls the loser of Saturday's clash.
A "dueling diet of daily dichotomies"? What, 5? Did you swallow the Spiro Agnew autobiography overnight?
And just think, Bud Selig did not want Frank McCourt to buy the Red Sox, steering it to his chums John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino. Given what has transpired with the once-classy Dodgers franchise, Red Sox fans should send Selig a thank you card every year on his birthday and Christmas.
The Week of Dominance™
Day 3 in the ceremonial Five Days of Backhanded Passive/Aggressive Compliments™ is upon us.
DAY 3: LSU's backup QB Jordan Jefferson is the perfect compliment to starting QB Jarrett Lee. Where one has a short coming, the other has a strength. Even though this won't have an impact on Saturday's game, since both can't play at the same time, it's cool knowing that together they make a pretty sweet quarterback.
Spy —
Thanks for the alliteration shout-out. Wow, McCourt owning the Red Sox would have caused Shaughnessy to combust and the Boston Globe website to meltdown.
FSU-NDame was a good one, so was Florida-FSU in the 1996.
PDavi —
Well-played indeed.
In an effort to be fair and balanced, here's the LSU volley to the Backhanded Passive/Aggressive Compliment part of the show.
"Man, when it comes to bad tattoos, AJ McCarron's is no where near as goofy as Tyler Bray's."
— 5-at-10
By the way, while I may be too busy with the ceremonies of The Week of Dominance™ to answer any of the "Today's Question", today's is STRONG.
Way to bring a James Franklin effort today, 5at10.
Jay,
Roster turnover? How about roster building.
Of the Tennesse starting 22, only 6 players remain from Coach Fulmer's '07 and '08 signing classes. Of those 6, Dallas Thomas is the only player who might make the squad at LSU, Alabama, or even 4-loss Florida for that matter. The '09 class signed by Kiffin offers only Tyler Brey and Ju'wan James as potential starters for an SEC-elite program.
The Vols won't have roster turnover until the '13 signing class enters as Frosh. Until then, it's roster building.
Jay, my favorite!#1 versus none remains the 38-20 win laid on Auburn during the 1985 campaign rode all the way to New Orleans. I was sitting in DD. That sucker was pounding and swaying, my Maker's Mark and myself were looking for parachutes.
That was a game Bo didn't want no more of in the second half.
Same year, Legion Field, I was prowling the fence behind the Tennessee bench and had a oblique but clear veiw of Tony Robinson injured for the season by Cornelius Bennett.
Vol fans where devestated, yet Daryl Dickey did hold on for the win. Except for the Georgia Tech tie, Dickey guided us to New Orleans.
Note: Vols and Tech should have a home and home for the next 100 year. Too much history between the two. +++Atlanta bar hopping after the game.
My point here is the same as yours, Coaches and teams must adapt and overcome advertsisy, if the were winners in the place, and that ain't Tennessee this year or last.
Bookie,
Maybe we should have survived and/or excelled with the roster turning over. Certainly Dooley is in roster rebuilding mode, but so too are Auburn and Florida and even the real USC — all of whom are playing as many or more freshmen and sophomores than the Vols and having more success doing it.
And yes, there are few UT seniors that would start for LSU or Alabama. But that's true for a lot of the league.
And, BTG, we mean that we're undecided on Dooley, but how would you answer this question: Why is UT so awful in the third quarter? That's not depth or rosters.
FE to the C —
Had to hit a guy where he lives, huh. (Although the reference to college football and Maker's Mark is enough to make anyone smile.)
Biscuit Bennett was a beast.
And you so got what we were trying to say — everyone faces injuries and bad breaks, it's time for the excuse-making to end. Be Tennessee for crying out loud.
— 5-at-10
Jay, I have an interesting bit on Pat Dye, Jr.--just a kid then, turned agent now-- story from when the his namesake was then Coach was at ECU. The University owned the coach's house in the front of our subdivision, yet the Dye's did little or nothing to maintain the yard or hire any help of that kind.
Jay, in your continuing evaluation of Dooley, you mentioned that beating Cincinnati as a win over a team that will finish with a winning record. Did you know that Cincy's wins came over teams with a combined 17-26 record ? and that does NOT include UTK's 3-5 record. . . . also the comment from Taureen Poole that the vols ran "maybe two" running plays, and then Dooley telling the press that is not true..do you think Dooley has lost respect and control of his players ?
Auburn and Florid are not building. They have red-shirt players in their second and third years who were highly ranked recruits. Look at their DLs and you won't find converted OLs, walk-ons, and DEs playing DT. They don't have a converted RB at MLB.
AJ Johnson, Curt Maggitt, Brian Randolf, and Mo Couch are going to be good. SEC-calibre. But you gotta get 5 of those every signing class.
I don't have answer for the third quarter meltdowns. If I did, I'd be on the Rivals (GQ) site.
bookieturnersghost,
My understanding going back many years is only Brenda can veiw then speak with Bookie.
FE to the C —
Pat Dye didn't care about any yard work. He had the boys from Golden Flake handle that.
Jomo —
The 5-at-10 likes having you around because dissent means good conversation, and in truth, right now you have a ton of ammo against Dooley. No UT fan would call a win over Cincy or Vandy for that matter a high-water mark or a signature win. But it is what it is. And the Vols are where they are.
The comments between Poole and then Dooley's next-day correction were interesting. We don't think Dooley has lost any amount of respect in the locker room as a whole, but Poole is obviously frustrated with a season that has been a major, Major, MAJOR disappointment.
BTG —
Florida is certainly rebuilding — this year and next. The Gators lost as many players that could have returned (be it the draft, transfer, dismissed, grades, etc.) as any team in the league. And they are switching offensive systems. Heck yeah the Gators are rebuilding.
Auburn is having to replace 35 players that contributed to last year's BCS title win (27 seniors, 3 declared for the draft, five dismissed for criminal behavior — AU did win the Fulmer Cup last year, too... War Eagle).
You won't find the conversions you mentioned — although Auburn does have a safety playing LB, a corner playing safety, a true freshman at center and has used five players at quarterback this year, never mind an entire defensive line that is sophomores or younger.
The four you mentioned are going to be good. Really good (especially AJ, who has that first-round feel). We think Cam Clear is going to be a good SEC player, too.
But is Dooley a good enough recruiter to restock the roster quickly enough for a fan base that is starving and in a coaching/sports world that wants winners yesterday? Maybe that's the most important question of all. (That and why the third quarter is a death march for the Vols.)
Good debate today gang.
— 5-at-10
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