Can't Believe It's Not Working

SEC Preview: Week #4, Part 2

We take a look at the back half of the SEC schedule for Week 4, starting with:

Vanderbilt at Ole Miss, 6:00pm, no television

I can't believe this game isn't televised.  It looks like a heck of a lot better game than Bama at Arkansas.  These two teams are a combined 5-1 on the season, with the only loss coming to a ranked team.  I would actually really like to see this game.  Instead, I get to experience the fetid stink of the corpse of Arkansas's football team.  

Vandy's already half-way to bowl eligibility, and Ole Miss could get there this week.  The winner of this game will most probably go to a bowl, and the loser might as well.  Think about that.  We're looking at a September game between two possible eventual bowl teams, both of whom appear to be actually fun to watch, and it's not televised.  I know those Bama fans watch games in droves while Vandy fans don't really exist and therefore don't watch television, but where's the consideration for me and my tastes?  Did the SEC office even think about how this would affect me?

OK, I know the answer to that.

Word is that Ole Miss's All-SEC defensive end, Greg Hardy, who is one of the best players in the conference at any position, has returned to practice following his injury.  With Hardy in the game, Ole Miss is a much better team.  He's a playmaker on a team that does not have a lot of playmakers, especially on defense.  If he plays this weekend, I think Ole Miss is the favorite in this game.

Vandy, for their part, can be accused of doing it with mirrors at this point.  They are not passing even remotely effectively, and they aren't exactly lighting it up in the running game either.  They're doing just enough to win, and that's just enough I suppose.

Wofford at South Carolina, 6:00pm, no television.

I know South Carolina has already played two conference games (their mistake), but is it really the time of the year to be beating up on teams from another division?  Well, I guess if you're sitting below .500, maybe it is.

Seriously, South Carolina's offense looked positively woeful in its first two games.  Despite only scoring 7 points, it actually looked a lot better against Georgia.  And it was the sort of "better" you could tell was actually better play, and not a signal that Georgia's defense wasn't as good.  South Carolina made mistakes in its first two games that it would have made if it was playing against a high school team.  Dumb pre-snap penalties.  Missed blocking assignments.  Etc.

Their quarterbacks spent a lot of time trying to convert 3rd and long or running for their lives.  Against Georgia they really pulled it together and eliminated the unforced errors that had plagued them.  I think it means South Carolina is going to start playing better the rest of the year.  The loss to Vandy hurts, as it was a game they were looking at for a W to get them to the 6 or 7 wins it will take to make a bowl game.  This week, they will get win #2.

They only have one more cheap win on the season, next week's game against UAB.  After that, they will have to earn their wins against some good teams and Arkansas.

Auburn at LSU, 6:45 ESPN

We're all well-versed in this game so far, and honestly there are so many matchups and storylines to cover that it's hard to even get to all of them.

Trindon.  Will Trindon Holliday's move to punt returner make an impact in this game?  If so, will it be a positive one for LSU?  It really was long past time for this move to happen, and even if he's shaky catching the ball, it's not like Chad Jones has a long history of sure-handedness back there.

The LSU secondary.  How will our revamped secondary fare against Auburn's passing game?  Yes, I know the passing game hasn't exactly set the world on fire yet, but we are still inexperienced back there, and we can bet the Auburn offense will come out wanting to show their woeful performance against MSU was not representative of what they can do.

Auburn Offensive Line vs. LSU's Defensive Line:  If we're getting the upper hand on them, what will they do to even it up?  Will their offensive linemen be searched for knives before every series?  Will Ricky Jean-Francois show the fire he showed at the end of last year now that there is a big game to play?  Will our depth make a difference?

LSU Offensive Line vs. Auburn Defensive Line:  The line play in this game promises to be outstanding.  This might be the best LSU offensive line in my memory, and the auburn DL might be the best in the conference.  Everyone knows we're going to try to run it down their throats, but can we open up the holes to get the big plays we've enjoyed so far this season?

Is Charles Scott the big-play running threat he's been so far this season.  He has dominated the lesser teams, but the holes promise to be smaller and the pursuit quicker in this game.  This will be the true test to see if he can be the go-to guy in this offense.

The LSU linebacking corps.  We'll be starting three linebackers with a total of 6 starts between them.  They've played a lot of snaps and a lot on special teams, and frankly they won't all be in the game at the same time that much because of the nickel and dime packages, but they will have to play both smart and aggressive and they will have to make tackles without necessarily a lot of help, as the defense will be spread across the field.

The Auburn secondary.  There have been a lot of injuries in the Auburn secondary, including the loss of a starter for the season.  Can they handle the pressure our receivers will put on them.  We have some outstanding wide receivers and an outstanding tight end.  Our QBs will have to be able to get the ball to them, however.

Georgia at Arizona State, 7:00pm ABC

It's hard to even care, really. This was supposed to be one of the premier OOC matchups on the SEC schedule, but then Arizona State went and lost to UNLV.  Now it's sort of a redemption game, or perhaps it's a funeral for Arizona State.  I don't really know.  

Anyway, this game is big for Georgia as they have national title ambitions.  If you want to win the national championship, you have to come up big in a game like this.  It's hard to get through the SEC schedule, and you can't afford to give one up out of conference.  

I still think Georgia makes it to the BCSNCG if they win out, but that will be very very hard.  They can't trip up here.  I don't know what the deal is with ASU.  Last week may have been a fluke and they could come out of the gate firing this week.  Football is a funny sport, and it's very dangerous to look at one game and draw a lot of conclusions from it.  Games go so much on emotion, and games turn on one or two plays.  If ASU's mindset is better this week, and they get the breaks on those one or two plays, I suppose they can win this one.

It's hard to say.  It's not like I know anything about Arizona State.

Incidentally, this is the 4th week in a row that an SEC team was scheduled to play on ABC.  Last week's ABC game, Arkansas at Texas, was cancelled due to hurricane, but you get the feeling ABC really wants to have SEC teams on the network.  Curious.

List of 8: LSU-Auburn

I admit it, I hate Auburn.  I hate their stupid fans.  I hate their town.  I hate their stupid colors.  I hate how they can’t make up their mind what their mascot is so they named an eagle “Tiger”.  I hate Tommy Tubberville so much I think he is the antichrist.  I hate everything about them.  I hope the earth one day just swallows them whole. 

There is not a team in any sport I hate more than Auburn football. My deep loathing for them is irrational and fervent.  In fact, my hatred of Auburn runs so deep it makes me (almost) want to cheer for Alabama because any fanbase that hates Auburn as much as I do can’t be all bad.   

What makes this rivalry great is that it is not a media construct.  It is not based on years of tradition or anything.  It’s simply based on the fact we’ve played a lot of really good games in the last twenty years, and it often has a huge impact on the SEC West race.  It’s a hatred built upon actual football.  In honor of the Twentieth Anniversary of the Earthquake Game, here’s my list of the most memorable Auburn-LSU games of the last 20 years.  I swear I’m doing this entirely from memory without verifying any details, save the final score and the date.  There's been so many great games, I didn't even include the Day the Barn Burned. 

8. 12/1/01 – LSU 27, AUBURN 14
The game was moved because of 9/11 and it was essentially a one game playoff for the West title.  Auburn’s players came out and stomped on the Eye of the Tiger, which enraged an already pissed off LSU crowd, still seething from the Cigar Game two years before.  LSU started by recovering an onsides kick, and the rout was on (which looking at the score, is closer than I remember).  I smoked a victory cigar after the game in Tubby’s honor.  Duval, Auburn’s kicker, got in a fight with the band.  It was pretty much the game that cemented everyone’s hatred of one another.

7. 10/22/05 – LSU 20, AUBURN 17 (OT)
Auburn’s kicker misses five field goals, conjuring memories of Duval’s misses in 2001.  LSU gets a clutch field goal to force OT.  Kenny Irons guarantees a 200 yard game and delivers.  Auburn loses anyway. 

6. 9/20/97 – AUBURN 31, LSU 28
The Cecil Collins game.  Cecil Collins rushed for about three thousand yards in the game, but with the game on the line on fourth and short, Dinardo decides to pass.  It’s incomplete, LSU loses.  I get really, really drunk afterwards watching the replay on ESPN about a billion times.  I have no idea to this day how we managed to lose this game. 

5. 10/20/07 – LSU 30, AUBURN 24
A game we’ve beaten to death over Miles’ late call to throw to the end zone on the last play rather than a kick a field goal.  He would have been able to kick the FG anyway, but let’s not let that get in the way of a good story.  Also memorable for the ridiculous cheap shot (which went unflagged) on Glen Dorsey’s knees. 

4a. 9/18/04 – AUBURN 10, LSU 9
4b. 9/16/06 – AUBURN 7, LSU 3
The last two trips to Auburn are linked in my mind, as both were low-scoring, hard-hitting affairs which turned on a controversial call which went Auburn’s way.  In 2004, Auburn got a second chance to kick the extra point on a call that wouldn’t be explained until the next day, which hurt, but we could at least blame ourselves for the late TD allowed.  But 2006 is the only game I have ever walked out of thinking we simply got robbed.  There were about five questionable calls in that game and they all went Auburn’s way.  I hate crying about the officials, but if we get screwed again in Auburn, I want somebody dead.

3. 10/8/88 – LSU 7, AUBURN 6
The Earthquake Game.  Hodson to Fuller.  Seismograph.  Teams share the SEC title.  The loss destroys Auburn’s national title hopes.  You know the rest.

2. 9/17/94 – AUBURN 30, LSU 26
The Interception Game.  If you see Lynn Amedee, our offensive co-ordinator who kept calling those pass plays and then let Howard take the blame in defeat, please kick him in the nuts for me.  Thanks.

1. 9/16/95 – LSU 12, AUBURN 6
The Bring Back the Magic Game.  Some Auburn fans call it the Whistle Game because Nix thought he heard a whistle before he was sacked in the end zone for a safety.  It was so loud in that stadium, I don’t know how he could have heard anything.  While the Dinardo Era was sort of a false spring, I do think this win is one of the most important in LSU history.  It was the return of the white jerseys.  LSU beat a top ten team at home.  It was a crazy crowd, and it ended the years of futility under Hallman.  While Dinardo didn’t climb the mountain, this is the game that set the stage for the resurgence of LSU and everything that came after it.  Without this win, I don’t think we win two national titles.  This was the game that started the Golden Era of LSU Football which we now enjoy.  God bless you, Troy Twillie.     

SEC Preview: Week #4, Part 1

Once again, all the games are on Saturday, and there are seven of them.  There are 4 SEC vs. SEC contests, and two solid OOC matchups.  Overall, I have to say that while we have had our appetites whetted in the last couple of weeks, what with the Georgia vs. South Carolina, Auburn vs. Mississippi State, and Vandy vs. South Carolina matchups, the main course starts this week.  This begins the real grind of the SEC, and two of the most anticipated matchups of the season go down this Saturday.  Let's start with the first few games:

Mississippi State at Georgia Tech, 11:00am, ESPN360.com and Gameplan

When did MSU schedule Georgia Tech?  I missed this memo.  

Alright, I don't know much about Georgia Tech, but I can tell you this.  Against two FBS teams, Georgia Tech hasn't managed to score 20 points.  The competition level in those two games is not bad, as they were playing Boston College and Virginia Tech, and heck they won one of those games.  Then again, Mississippi State only managed 14 against Louisiana Tech and the offense failed to score at all against Auburn.  They only managed 6 first downs against Auburn, and their longest play from scrimmage was 13 yards.

The ACC appears horrible this year, but then again, MSU appears to be pretty bad this year as well.  So far, Wesley Carroll's sophomore season as the Bulldog QB appears to be no better than his freshman season.  He has completed barely 50% of his passes and actually has thrown more interceptions than touchdown passes.  And if you factor the win against Southeastern Louisiana, he has thrown 1 touchdown pass and 4 interceptions, and has completed well under 50% of his passes.  

I really think Croom needs to go back to the drawing board with his quarterback.  Backup Tyson Lee looked solid against Louisiana Tech.  He completed passes and didn't throw an interception.  He's a dink-and-dunk QB, but that's about a million times better than whatever Wesley Carroll is right now.

This promises to be an ugly game, with few points scored.  I doubt Georgia Tech has played a defense as good as Mississippi State's, but I doubt they've played an offense as bad as Mississippi State's either.  And that includes Jacksonville State.  The wheels appear to have come off this program for the time being, and I think when teams figure out that all you have to do to beat MSU is stop the run and not give up defensive and special teams touchdowns, you'll see a lot of Bulldog losses pile up.

Alabama at Arkansas, 11:30am, Raycom Sports

I'm not a big believer in Alabama quite yet.  I think they're solid, but I don't think they'll get through the heart of the SEC schedule without being exposed.  But I highly doubt that happens this week, as Arkansas is probably the worst team in the SEC.  

Let's put it this way.  I think that after this week, Arkansas will be the 3rd best team Alabama will have played this year.  They have played Clemson, Tulane, Western Kentucky, and soon will add Arkansas.  I think Tulane is probably better than Arkansas, and it probably isn't close.

Arkansas is awful.  They have struggled to beat an FCS team and one of the worst FBS teams in the country.  They have needed dramatic comebacks to beat teams that shouldn't be able to stay on the field with SEC competition.  It's not flukey either.  It's flukey if it happens once.  It's not flukey if it happens twice in a row.

If you want a matchup to watch here, take a look at Arkansas's offensive line versus Bama's defensive line.  Arkansas's OL is supposed to be pretty solid, actually, and they've actually put up a fight on offense.  They could score some points in this game, but Bama is just much better all around, even if they are a young team.  Let's put it this way:  The team that couldn't score a point against Auburn, and was actually outscored by Auburn's defense, put up 27 points against Arkansas.  That's bad.

If it was not for the fact that both of these teams are future LSU opponents, and I want to watch all games that feature two future opponents, I would much prefer to watch the Vandy/Ole Miss game, which is not televised.

Florida at Tennessee, 2:30pm, CBS

This was, not that long ago, the premier game on the SEC calendar.  Now, it's just sort of another game in the SEC.  I suppose Georgia has supplanted Tennessee as the best-or-second-best-team in the East.  I still think Tennessee has a solid team.  Their program is, I think, on a slow decline, but this year they still appear (or appeared, rather, until losing to UCLA) to have a pretty solid roster of players capable of beating anyone.

Florida's a pretty tough draw for them, though.  The Gators are one of the few teams in the SEC that appears to be able to play both offense and defense effectively, though admittedly they haven't had to play a team with a pulse yet.  Tennessee, incidentally, also appears that they could be a team with both an offense and a defense, perhaps not being great at either one however, but the offense has to play with more consistency and intensity.

With everyone writing off Tennessee this year, much like they did last year, this is a team that could jump up and surprise Florida.  It would be hard to imagine that 5 or 6 years ago, that Tennessee could sneak up on a team, especially Florida.  I guess that just shows how much this rivalry has lost its shine.

I actually think Tennessee has something of a shot here.  It's at home, and Tennessee is a much better team than anyone Florida has played so far.  I happen to think, at this point, that Florida is the best team in the SEC, so I'm not going to speculate on how much of a shot Tennessee has.  They certainly have to play better offensively than they've played in either of their first two games.  

On paper, I look at Tennessee and I see one of the better teams in the conference.  They have a workhorse running back, a good offensive line, solid receivers, and playmakers on defense.  I can't figure out why they don't look all that great.

Tomorrow, the rest of the schedule.

Intro and welcome to And the Valley Shook...

Date: October 8, 1988
Venue: Tiger Stadium (Death Valley) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

With LSU clinging to a national ranking after a 2-2 start to the season, the home Tigers trailed #4 Auburn 6-0 heading into the final minutes of the game. With 1:47 left, LSU faced a 4th down deep in Auburn territory. LSU QB Tommy Hodson managed to find tailback Eddie Fuller in the back of the endzone for a touchdown...and the Valley SHOOK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVrM8dSAtu4

The crowd reaction was so loud, it actually registered on a campus seismograph

The play would go down as one of the biggest touchdowns in LSU history - second only to Billy Cannon's 1959 Halloween punt return - and the game has henceforth been referred to simply as "The Earthquake Game."

As the play undoubtedly helped Death Valley earn the legendary status it still carries two decades later, the powers that be (or rather, yours truly) figured an homage to it would be a fine starting point for a site to discuss all things LSU.

Welcome to the site, I hope you enjoy it.