The shake up has begun. And I think the "bake" will happen next week as the Top 10 continue into some tough games where they will have to prove their ranking. October is the month of put up or shut up and the when the real sorting process begins (and when the BCS whining starts...but that's next week).
W E E K L Y W R A P
We knew it was coming but it did not fall out they way many thought (or the way I had hoped). We saw #3 lose to #10 and #5 lose to #6 (in a real bad way) and #4 lose to an un-ranked. That dropped #3, #4 and #5 to #8, #11, and #12, respectively. Rightfully so*?. (Hey...remember a few weeks ago when I said FSU was over-rated?). We'll see about Florida. I don't think LSU was deserving anyway so we can't say that Florida's win was that great...yet. And UCLA, TCU and Stanford all fell to non-ranked teams as well. Lots of shaking...
W E E K L Y W H I N E
*Poll politics. I just don't see why certain teams get ranked where they do. Is someone paying off voters? Is there a real SEC bias and if so, why? Can't the voters be honest? Georgia (#5) got trounced by SCar (#6) and dropped seven spots. But #3 LSU only dropped five after being all but shut down by #10 Florida. And the commentator darling for five weeks, #4 FSU, drops only seven after losing to un-ranked NC State, while TCU, who also lost to an un-ranked, dropped 10 spots. Where is the justice?
E N D Z O N E
It happens at least once a year. What I call the Rocky III syndrome. You know...you play a bunch of cupcake teams...you score a lot ..you look good...and then Clubber Lang comes in and reminds you that you are not as good as you (or your fans) thought. UGA's Clubber Lang was their long-time nemesis Spurrier. He had his team well prepared for this one (SCar had close ones with Vandy and UK but they were ready for the Dawgs). And if he keeps that up he'll take the Cocks to the title game. Read a well written game summary here.
This year it was UGA's turn to play the part of Rocky. The "over rated" chants rang loud and clear as the clock ticked down. I felt this coming (darn it!). They have plenty of talent but I was not yet convinced they were championship material. The 5-0 start had come too easy. And the Gamecocks showed UGA that they still have a lot of work to do. SCar on the other hand seems to have all the right weapons - especially a defensive front second to none. Now, was UGA having on off night? Yes. They were flat form the get-go and did not look like the confident, talented take-no-prisoners team they looked in the first five games. Something was wrong. Maybe they didn't prep well or were over-confident or let the crowd or the history or the Ol Ball Coach get into their heads. They will right their ship and do fine the rest of the season...but this one will sting for a while and dashes their SEC Championship chances.
And this could all be written for LSU fans as well...although I think their demise could be much worse. I just don't see it in them to end up ranked at season-end given their tough schedule ahead (SCar, 'Bama and Miss State). And maybe even Florida will face their Clubber Lang in the next few weeks as they play SCar, UGA and FSU. And I will even go out on a limb and say it could happen to Oregon who has played a few patsies but has USC and Stanford and Oregon State left to play.
W E E K L Y W R A P
We knew it was coming but it did not fall out they way many thought (or the way I had hoped). We saw #3 lose to #10 and #5 lose to #6 (in a real bad way) and #4 lose to an un-ranked. That dropped #3, #4 and #5 to #8, #11, and #12, respectively. Rightfully so*?. (Hey...remember a few weeks ago when I said FSU was over-rated?). We'll see about Florida. I don't think LSU was deserving anyway so we can't say that Florida's win was that great...yet. And UCLA, TCU and Stanford all fell to non-ranked teams as well. Lots of shaking...
*Poll politics. I just don't see why certain teams get ranked where they do. Is someone paying off voters? Is there a real SEC bias and if so, why? Can't the voters be honest? Georgia (#5) got trounced by SCar (#6) and dropped seven spots. But #3 LSU only dropped five after being all but shut down by #10 Florida. And the commentator darling for five weeks, #4 FSU, drops only seven after losing to un-ranked NC State, while TCU, who also lost to an un-ranked, dropped 10 spots. Where is the justice?
E N D Z O N E
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| Is that line supposed to be that crooked? |
And this could all be written for LSU fans as well...although I think their demise could be much worse. I just don't see it in them to end up ranked at season-end given their tough schedule ahead (SCar, 'Bama and Miss State). And maybe even Florida will face their Clubber Lang in the next few weeks as they play SCar, UGA and FSU. And I will even go out on a limb and say it could happen to Oregon who has played a few patsies but has USC and Stanford and Oregon State left to play.