There have been rumblings in Louisiana that Les Miles has worn out his welcome as coach at LSU. Some have written this off as ridiculous — “He won a national title in 2007!” — but Saturday night was a harsh reminder of why the LSU faithful have lost a lot of, um, faith, in Miles.

The Tigers survived Saturday night in a 30-24 win against half of North Carolina’s team. And it really wasn’t even the good half. Worse still is that LSU very nearly blew a 30-10 lead in the fourth quarter to do it.

Give a lot of credit to the North Carolina players who know the NCAA rules. They played with a lot of heart down the stretch and were two dropped passes and a probably-missed pass interference call away from winning a game nobody gave them a chance in.

But the story here is Miles and the Tigers nearly blowing the game. The Tigers failed to put the game away, and star defensive back Patrick Peterson’s postgame quote said a ton. When asked why he wasn’t on the field for a 97-yard touchdown pass that gave North Carolina life, Peterson responded, “I guess he thought we had a comfortable lead.”

The “he” in that sentence is defensive backs coach Ron Cooper, but how does that decision not go through Miles? If it doesn’t, it should. The head coach doesn’t need to micro-manage his assistants, but he does need to make sure his best players are on the field while the game is still in any kind of doubt. Miles needs to at the very least contend for an SEC title this year, or it could be his last.

Now some other thoughts on the first Saturday of college football.

- Perhaps in all of the excitement over Jeremiah Masoli and his eligibility, Ole Miss forgot to prepare for its opponent on Saturday, Jacksonville State. The FCS team pulled off the stunning upset on a sloppy, yet completely effective, two-point conversion attempt. And that followed a miracle 30-yard touchdown pass from freshman Coty Blanchard to Kevyn Cooper on fourth-and-15. Jacksonville State scored on five of its final six possessions. For those that watch college football regularly, it’s the later part of the game where the bigger program starts to pull away, not totally collapse. It could be a long year for Houston Nutt and the Rebels.

- Notre Dame got a win in Brian Kelly’s debut, but not in the way that one would have expected. The Irish beat Purdue 23-12, and did it with defense. Will that be a trend? Probably not, but who knows. Remember that the Irish shut out a very good Nevada offense in their opener a year ago and then went on to give up a school record in average total yards throughout the season. I think defensive coordinator Bob Diaco has done some good things, though, and the fact that the Irish defense was as solid as it was when it was protecting an eight-point lead is encouraging for Notre Dame fans. It was a common site in recent years to see the Irish defense gassed late in games, and that showed up on the scoreboard. The star of yesterday’s game for Notre Dame, however, might have been defensive backs coach Chuck Martin, who had the Irish defensive backs looking like actual collegiate defensive backs.

- It turns out taking over for a star quarterback isn’t that easy. Garrett Gilbert and John Brantley each had their struggles Saturday as they ushered in new eras at their respective schools. Gilbert, who was thrown into the fire at Texas in last year’s national title game, wasn’t sharp in the Longhorns 34-17 win against Rice. He was 14-for-23 for 172 yards and no touchdowns (no interceptions, either). That’s not exactly what Texas fans are used to after the Colt McCoy era. I touched on Florida’s offensive struggles yesterday, and I’d like to reiterate that Brantley wasn’t that bad. But he wasn’t that good, either, against a defense that is vastly inferior to what he’ll be seeing throughout the year in the SEC. Gilbert and Brantley are young yet and will probably develop into good quarterbacks. But they aren’t going to be McCoy and Tebow. The sooner they — and their fans — realize that, the better off everybody will be.

- Yesterday’s MVP? Not Michigan super-speedster Denard Robinson or Oregon running back Kenjon Barner. Nope. My vote goes to the Oregon Duck. He did 506 push-ups yesterday as Oregon racked up 72 points against New Mexico. Someone deserves an ice bath.

Here’s a quick and dirty look at how I see things playing out in the SEC this season:

#1 Alabama
Led by head coach Nick Saban and Heisman winner Mark Ingram, this is by far the best team in the country. While they don’t come weakness-free, the Tide have the best combination of talent and coaching in all of college football. They play in the nation’s toughest conference so there’s always a chance that they could lose a game during the season, but this is your clear national title favorite. Their defense might be even better than it was a year ago.

#2 Florida
The Gators lost Tim Tebow, Riley Cooper, Aaron Hernandez, Maurkice Pouncey, Carlos Dunlap, Jermaine Cunningham, Brandon Spikes, Ryan Stamper, Joe Haden and Major Wright from their squad last season. In one word: Ouch. Outside of running back Jeff Demps, they lost their top player at nearly every position, which would usually destroy a program’s chances of competing the next year. But this is Florida – they reload every year. This year’s crop of starters has seen time in either part-time action or spot starts over the last couple of years, so the Gators will compete. Are they a top 5 team? We’ll find out soon.

#3 Arkansas
All right, so I might be drinking too much of the Ryan Mallett Kool-Aid by ranking the Razorbacks ahead of Georgia and LSU. But even though Bobby Petrino is a turd, the man knows how to run an offense (a college football offense, that is) and Arkansas will be explosive on that side of the ball again this year. The question is whether or not their defense will step up so that this team can reach its full potential. As it stands now, it’s probably safe to say that Arkansas is going to have issues slowing teams down this year, but I just can’t stop starring at that offense. It’s like a tractor beam of hotness.

#4 Georgia
Of any team in the conference, the Dawgs may have the best chance to surprise in the SEC. They’re coming off a disappointing 2009 season, but with players like A.J. Green, Washuan Easley, Brandon Boykin and Blair Walsh coming back, they have plenty of talent to challenge Florida in the East. They also have a favorable schedule, as they don’t have to play Alabama and get home games against Arkansas and Tennessee this year. As long as they don’t overlook South Carolina and can get past Florida and Auburn (no small feat), Georgia has a better shot to contend for a SEC title than people think.

#5 Auburn
Even though they faded after a 5-0 start, Gene Chizik did a wonderful job in his first year at Auburn. He also landed the fourth overall recruiting class in the nation, headlined by running back Michael Dyer. Is this team ready to compete with Alabama and Florida? Not yet, but under Chizik, they’re moving in the right direction and I see an improved team from a year ago.

#6 LSU
I’m probably down on LSU more than others, but I just don’t like this team’s talent compared to that of the teams I have listed above. Plus, Les Miles does something stupid every year to make you question how he has been as successful as he has over the years. Still, this isn’t a program that lost a lot of top talent and they’re always hard to beat at home, so don’t rule out the Tigers’ chances for competing with the top dogs in the SEC this year.

#7 South Carolina
Yikes. As if road games against Auburn, Alabama, Florida and Clemson weren’t enough, the Gamecocks also had to suspended both Quintin Richardson and Weslye Saunders indefinitely for two separate violations. Steve Spurrier has put together some solid recruiting classes over the past couple of years and this team has enough talent to challenge in the East, but with a daunting schedule and off-field issues mounting things look bleak in Columbia.

#8 Tennessee
Don’t expect much from the Vols this season, as Derek Dooley and company lost their starting quarterback, their two leading rushers and both starting offensive tackles. They also have to figure out a way to replace Eric Berry, Rico McCoy and Dennis Rogan on the defensive side of the ball, as well as find replacements for injured defensive linemen Ben Martin and Marlon Walls. But despite this being an obvious rebuilding year, Tennessee usually finds a way to be competitive, which is why I have them ranked as high as I do.

#9 Ole’ Miss
Obviously the big news in Oxford this year is the addition of former Oregon Duck Jeremiah Masoli. But while everyone assumes Masoli will eventually be the starter this season for the Rebs, Houston Nutt recently proclaimed that Nathan Stanley would be his quarterback if the season were to start today. Either way, the quarterback position killed Ole’ Miss with turnovers last season, so whoever takes the snaps this year, cutting down on interceptions will be a must. This is a talented team, but I see their schedule giving them problems (i.e. road games at Alabama and LSU) and a quarterback controversy brewing (which is never a good thing).

#10 Kentucky
The offense has plenty of playmakers, but the key is the quarterback position. Can Mike Hartline (who beat out Morgan Newton and Ryan Mossakowski for the starting job) produce? With the uncertainty at quarterback and the offensive line having to replace four new starters, I don’t see the Wildcats turning heads this season. The only saving grace is that they play Ole Miss, Auburn and Mississippi State in the West this year, which is certainly less daunting than South Carolina’s trio of West opponents in Auburn, Alabama and Arkansas.

#11 Mississippi State
It’s hard not to love the Bulldogs’ crop of receivers and offensive linemen, but it’s hard not to worry about their quarterback and running back situation. Their defense has the ability to keep them in most games, but not without a consistent pass-rush. Mississippi State’s roster offers plenty of talent, but this team has to go on the road to play LSU, Houston, Florida and Alabama. Talk about daunting.

#12 Vanderbilt
The defense is definitely something to keep an eye on (especially the secondary) and with running backs Warren Norman and Zac Stacy leading the way, Vandy should be a better offensive unit. But led by quarterback Larry Smith, the passing game is a huge concern and I envision this defense being on the field a lot.

Check out other 2010 College Football Conference Previews: SEC | Big Ten | Big 12

Last week was bitter sweet as I went 4-0 straight up but just 1-3 against the spread. Keep in mind that I try to only pick top 25 games, so they’re much, much harder to predict. Like, much harder. (Or at least that’s my excuse anyway.)

No. 8 LSU at Mississippi, 3:30PM ET
Both of these SEC teams will be looking to finish the 2009 season strong when they square off this Saturday in Oxford. The Rebels snapped a six-game losing streak to the Tigers last season but they haven’t won at home in his series since 1998. The public seems high on Ole Miss after the Rebs hammered Tennessee last Saturday, but keep in mind that the Vols were in the midst of some turmoil after three of their players were arrested for attempted armed robbery last week. Dexter McCluster went off on Tennessee for 282 yards and four touchdowns, but he’ll have a hard time repeating that effort against a stout LSU front seven. Something tells me that Les Miles’ team is still pissed off about what happened two weeks again in Tuscaloosa and will play this week with passion. I see a small upset for the Tigers and an outright win.
Odds: Ole Miss –4.5.
Prediction: LSU 20, Ole Miss 17.

No. 25 California at No. 17 Stanford, 7:30PM ET
Stanford is playing as well as anyone in the nation right now. The Cardinal have scored 106 points combined against Oregon and USC the past two weeks and senior running back Toby Gerhart has almost been unstoppable. Without running back Jahvid Best, Cal squeaked by Arizona last week, 24-16. With Best sidelined again this Saturday, many expect Stanford to roll but don’t forget that Cal has the 19th best run defense in the nation and is capable of containing Gerhart and keeping things close. Quarterback Kevin Riley might be able to take advantage of a Stanford secondary that has been inconsistent this season, although without the threat of a running game the Bears’ offense might become too one-dimensional in the second half. I think Stanford will pull out the victory but this game will be closer than people think.
Odds: Stanford –7.5.
Prediction: Stanford 35, Cal 31.

No. 10 Ohio State at Michigan, 12:00PM ET
Michigan has the offense to contend with most teams in the Big Ten, but the Wolverine defense has been horrid this year while giving up over 400 yards a game. Michigan has been fine against the pass, but that’s only because opponents have been able to run the ball with success and don’t need to put it in the air. Unfortunately for them, Ohio State’s strength is its ground attack, which means Brandon Saine should find plenty of running room against a soft Wolverine front seven. Given how this game is in Ann Arbor and is the final regular season outing for both teams, Michigan may keep things close in the first half. But after a while, mistakes will start to add up and Ohio State should cruise after halftime.
Odds: Ohio State –12.
Prediction: Ohio State 34, Michigan 20.

No. 4 TCU at Wyoming, 2:00PM ET
This will likely wind up being a free win for my straight up plays, but I’m really adding this game for my ATS plays. TCU is coming off an emotional win over Utah last week at home and now has to go on the road to face an improved Wyoming team. The last time these two teams faced off in Laramie, the Cowboys beat the Frogs 24-21 in 2007. TCU is a juggernaut and looks unstoppable at this point, but can anyone say letdown?
Odds: TCU –31.
Prediction: TCU 30, Wyoming 21.

Photo from fOTOGLIF
]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/18/2009-college-football-week-12-picks-predictions/feed/ 0 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/09/25/south-carolina-shocks-no-4-ole-miss/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/09/25/south-carolina-shocks-no-4-ole-miss/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:22:00 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=25048

College football fans, we officially have another huge upset in 2009.

Just six days after Washington knocked off USC (who was the No. 3 team in the nation), South Carolina shocked No. 4 Ole Miss on Thursday night with a 16-10 upset.

It was an incredible performance by the Gamecock defense, which held quarterback Jevan Snead to only 107 yards on 7 of 21 passing. The highly potent Rebel offense could only muster 248 total yards against a South Carolina defense that was relentless to the ball carrier all night.

Not to solely pick on him because the South Carolina defense was incredible on all fronts, but Snead just couldn’t make a play when Ole Miss needed it, outside of a 45-yard touchdown competition to Markeith Summers in the fourth quarter to cut the Gamecocks’ lead to 16-10.

When Ole Miss marched to SC territory late in the fourth, Snead was sacked on a 3rd and 12 from the Gamecock 34 and then had a pass knocked away on the next play to essentially end the game. Every time he needed to make a play, SC’s defense turned him away. The Gamecocks did an amazing job all night.

Shockingly, this was the sixth consecutive SEC opener that Ole Miss has lost and they join Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and USC as the fourth top-5 team to be knocked off in the last four weeks. What a blow for the Rebels, who many thought would be the sleeper team in the SEC this year.

Check out our other 2009 college football previews.

Preseason Ranking: No. 8 in AP Top 25; No. 10 in USA Today Poll.

Key Returning Players: Jevan Snead (QB); Dexter McCluster (WR); Shay Hodge (WR); Cordera Eason (RB); Daverin Geralds (C); Gerald Harris (TE); Kendrick Lewis (S); Greg Hardy (DE); Jonathan Cornell (LB); Ted Laurent (DT); Kentrell Lockett (DE); Marcus Tillman (DE); Cassius Vaughn (CB); Allen Walker (LB).

Key Losses: Peria Jerry (DT); Michael Oher (OT); Chris Bowers (DE); Mike Wallace (WR); Jason Cook (FB); Jamarca Sanford (S); Terrell Jackson (S); Tony Fein (LB); Ashlee Palmer (LB); Dustin Mouzon (CB); Maurice Miller (G).

Player to Watch: Greg Hardy, DE.
Some were probably expecting quarterback Jevan Snead to be listed here – and for good reason. The athletic signal caller totaled 2,762 passing yards and 26 touchdowns in his first year as the Rebels’ starting QB and many believe that Snead is the reason Ole’ Miss has a chance to surprise this year in the SEC. But Hardy, with his career 32.5 tackles and 21.5 sacks, will unquestionably be the best player that suits up for the Rebels this season. Had he not decided to stay in school, he likely would have been a top 5 pick in April’s NFL draft. He terrorized SEC quarterbacks last season, namely Florida’s Tim Tebow in the Rebels’ massive upset of the Gators in “The Swamp.” Hardy should once again prove why he’s one of the best defenders in the nation and he was born to play on Sundays.

Team Strength: The loss of Peria Jerry hurts, but the Rebels’ defensive front seven should once again cause issues for the opposition’s running game. Last year, Ole’ Miss allowed only 85.5 yards per game on the ground and even without Jerry, the Rebels will be difficult to run on. The line will be aided by the returns Hardy, Kentrell Lockett and Marcus Tillman, and linebacker Jonathan Cornell appears ready to take over a linebacker unit that lost Ashlee Palmer.

Potential Weakness: Despite the success of the front seven, the Rebels’ secondary struggle last year outside of safety Kendrick Lewis. Ole’ Miss gave up the most passing yards in the SEC last year and even though Lewis is an outstanding player, cornerbacks Cassius Vaughn and Marshay Green need to be better.

Outlook: There’s no question that Ole’ Miss could surprise this year in the SEC. Snead is a quality quarterback who is surrounded by a group of capable backs and receivers, most notably Dexter McCluster. The Rebels were second in the SEC in rushing offense and third in total offense in ‘08, but the key will be how this team fares without tackle Michael Oher, who was drafted in April. If the line doesn’t suffer a production letdown, then Ole’ Miss certainly has enough offensive weapons to be dangerous. The defense is solid, although the secondary must perform better for this team to reach its potential. With the way the front seven gets after the quarterback, there should be no excuse for the Rebels to rank dead last in passing defense again. The schedule is also very favorable, with home games against Alabama and LSU. The Rebels also don’t have to face Florida this season.

While a couple of things have to come together for Ole’ Miss to pull off the upset and win the SEC, they proved last year with wins over Florida and Texas Tech that they’re more than capable of being dangerous in a stacked conference.

The USA Today Coaches’ Top 25 college football coaches’ poll has been released and to no surprise, Florida ranks No. 1.

Here’s the top 15 (via ESPN.com):

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. USC
5. Alabama
6. Ohio State
7. Virginia Tech
8. Penn State
9. LSU
10. Mississippi
11. Oklahoma State
12. California
13. Georgia
14. Oregon
15. Georgia Tech

The most intriguing team to watch this year in the top 15 is Ole’ Miss. The have a solid quarterback in Jevan Snead a true playmaker in Dexter McCluster, a couple of quality receivers and several capable rushers. But the one thing that could keep the Rebels from taking that next step is the play of the offensive and defensive lines. They lost two significant pieces of both lines last year when Michael Oher and Peria Jerry were drafted into the NFL. Can they replace both of those players and make some noise in the SEC?

Another team to at least keep an eye on this year is North Carolina, who is ranked 20 in the preseason poll. They lost receivers Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate to the NFL, but their offense is still chockfull of potential and their defense was incredibly opportunistic last year. I’m not saying the Heels will challenge for a national title this season, but they’ll be competitive.

The Heisman race is going to be fun to watch all year, too. Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and Terrelle Pryor hold the edge going into the season, but watch out for sleepers like Evan Royster, Jonathan Dwyer and Jahvid Best.

I loved Tech going into this game and backed them as a team that still wasn’t getting enough credit. I even bought into the small hype that they should be the No. 1 team in the nation instead of Alabama. Apparently was wrong, like, way wrong.

This wasn’t just a bad night for the Raiders – the Sooners were just flat out better in every phase of the game. It was easy to see that OU was going to put up some points. Not only is the Sooner offense one of the best in the nation under Heisman hopeful Sam Bradford (14 of 19 for 304 yards, 4 TDs), but the Tech defense is also nonexistent.

But for the Sooner defense to hold Tech to only 21 points is simply amazing. No team in the nation (besides maybe OU) was running its offense better and more efficiently than the Raiders were. And OU made Tech look like they were in their first spring practice of the year.

This obviously throws a massive kink in the BCS rankings, which is fantastic for fans that want a playoff in college football. What team is the best in the nation? Can you honestly say it’s Alabama? Can you honestly say it’s not Oklahoma? What about Texas, who, oh-by-the-way beat Oklahoma earlier this year but lost to Tech on the final play of the game. What about Florida? The Gators lost Ole’ Miss, but are playing their best football of the season right now and have a date with ‘Bama in the SEC Championship Game coming up.

The BCS is getting what it deserves with OU’s win – complete anarchy. Everything is a mess right now and their little computers don’t have a clear-cut answer (not that they ever do). A playoff would be absolutely great for a season like this.