Week Eleven

I thought Auburn looked frustrated and really lacked focus in the first quarter against Georgia. They had a couple unsportsmanlike penalties, two dropped balls, and Cam Newton gave a brat-like stiff arm to a defender. But after that he and the rest of the team really settled down and ended up looking like the Auburn team that we've seen all year. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next two weeks before the Iron Bowl with all the Newton allegations, hopefully it will die down though...I need to get some work done.

A least a few of Mississippi State's players were obviously not over the loss of Nick Bell. There wasn't the same focus and determination we've seen all year, and State got creamed. If it wasn't for the mercy of Nick Saban the score would've completely been out of hand. That is something I will commend Saban for, there has been several opportunities this year to put up a huge number but he's backed off for the sake of being a good sport.

Congratulations to South Carolina. It's really been a banner year for that school. I'm pretty sure they had only won a national championship in track before 2010, and then this spring they won the baseball national championship. Now, they've won the SEC East, something they had never even come close to doing. I thought this would be their year, and it was.

I was 4-1 on my SEC picks and 1-2 nationally. So that's 65-16 SEC and 35-24 around the country for the year. Power Poll:

1. Auburn, 11-0 (7-0) - We'll just see if Cam Newton is still eligible for the Iron Bowl...and likewise if Auburn is eligible for the SEC Championship Game and BCS Title Game. But if they are they've got a great chance to win all three.

2. LSU, 9-1 (5-1) - Nice win over ULM, they finally didn't struggle with a lesser team. 'Magnolia Bowl' next week.

3. Alabama, 8-2 (5-2) - I was impressed by their ability to come out firing vs. MSU. They are still a great team and after a scrimmage vs. Georgia State they will be quite a test for Auburn.

4. Arkansas, 8-2 (4-2) - The Hogs have made their way back up to #4, and they've quietly won four in a row. Next week at Mississippi State could be a battle for the Cotton Bowl.

5. South Carolina, 7-3 (5-3) - The SEC schedule is over and the Gamecocks are East Champs! I'm glad they came through for me. Now we'll see if they can finish strong vs. Troy and Clemson.

6. Mississippi State, 7-3 (3-3) - I have been forced to drop my beloved dawgs. I almost don't even count that game with respect to evaluating the season as a whole due to the off the field distractions. They need to rebound this week to get ready for a really good Arkansas team.

7. Florida, 6-4 (4-4) - Their SEC schedule is also over and they have a horrible record for their standards. The offense reached new lows...in week 11! I think it's safe to say they miss Mullen and Tebow. And I think they should fire Addazio, because when you have that much talent you've got to be able to find a way to move the ball.

8. Georgia, 5-6 (3-5) - Another East team whose SEC schedule is over. Now it's crunch time and they've got two weeks to prepare for 'clean old fashioned hate' with Georgia Tech. They really need a bowl game to work on the defensive strategy.

9. Kentucky, 6-5 (2-5) - 2010 will make 5 straight bowl games for the Cats. That is quite an impressive streak for a program with their history. Joker Philips has continued Rich Brooks legacy, now we'll see if he can get over the hump in the coming years. He's got two weeks to prepare his team for the first hump which is finally beating Tennessee...and this is the year to do it.

10. Tennessee, 4-6 (1-5) - Finally got an SEC win, and did it in very convincing fashion. Tyler Brey looks like he could be a star in this league. Plus it gets easier next week at Vanderbilt.

11. Ole Miss, 4-6 (1-5) - I don't know if Jeramiah Masoli was suffering ill-effects from his concussion or not but he looked awful Saturday. Getting beat 52-14 by a 3-6 team has to be the low point of Houston Nutt's career...on the field. They've got to win out at LSU and vs. Mississippi State to make a bowl, don't think it's gonna happen.

12. Vanderbilt, 2-8 (1-6) - I watched every snap of the game at Kentucky and I really think they played well. I'm going to take back what I said about Robbie Caldwell last week, I didn't realize just how many injuries they've suffered. Vandy played really well for 3+ quarters on Saturday, just came up short. Having said that, I won't blame them if they have a coaching change.

My Top 5:

1. Auburn, 11-0
2. Oregon, 10-0
3. Boise State, 9-0
4. TCU, 11-0
5. LSU, 9-1

I was a little suspisious going into the week with Oregon going into Cal with them being undefeated at home this year, but I never had any clue they'd lock into a defensive struggle. TCU and Oregon both looked vunerable, so that means everyone in the Top 4 has played a close game they had to pull out this year. With Utah going down and VA Tech continuing to rise, Boise State is positioning themselves to be in the BCS Title Game should Auburn or Oregon go down. Auburn plays at Alabama, and Oregon plays Arizona and at Oregon State. Those are some pretty tough games for the top teams, should be an exciting finish.

With the NY Giants horrible loss at home to the Cowboys the Falcons officially have the best record in the NFC. I'm not going to say they are the best team because the Saints are the Superbowl Champs, and they are still good. So even though the Falcons beat them in New Orleans, I'll wait for the game in Atlanta before I pass that judgement. But the Falcons are for real, and their schedule down the stretch is pretty light so watch out home-field advantage in the NFC, the Falcons are coming. P.S. Matt Ryan is 18-1 at home in his career.

JB