SEC's Most Hated Team

It's official - the SEC's most hated team is officially the Georgia Bulldogs.

For the past five years, all the talk in college football was how the Boise St Broncos should be given a fair shot to play for the national title. After all, they have a five year record of 63-3 including 4 undefeated regular seasons. Simply put, they have been the most successful program over the past five years. The rub however, is that conference of theirs. Critics railed on the Broncos, noting that they wouldn't even go .500 in the SEC, which has claimed the past 4 national champions. No matter what colors they wear, fans of the SEC HATED the idea that little Boise St deserved a shot. Finally the day had come when Boise St traveled down South to take on a big boy from the SEC, the Georgia Bulldogs. After Georgie sent them home with their tails between their legs they would never have to deal with Boise again.

Well, funny thing happened. The Broncos came down to Georgia and put it to the Dawgs 35-21. This will only add fuel to the fire. Fans from around the country will now point to this win if (more likely, when) Boise St goes undefeated this year. SEC fans are feeling sick right now.

But here's the rub: I'm a Dawgs fan, but this team isn't very good. They are merely a .500 team with an above average QB whose reputation proceeds them. Critics started to talk themselves into the Dawgs making run simply because of their easy schedule and their decade long success. Credit to Boise for coming down to SEC country and winning, but a true test would have been Alabama or LSU. Hopefully we can all see that come this January.

A few other notes about the opening weekend in college football:

• A HUGE win by #4 LSU without their suspended QB over #3 Oregon. Sure the game was in their backyward, but Oregon was unstoppable last year
• So much for Notre Dame running the table like some critics predicted. Now I know this doesn't take them out of the BCS race - voters still swoon over the Irish and will put them in the top 10 if they win 9 games - but it sure doesn't help. Huge props to USF Head Coach Skip Holtz for going into South Bend and getting the win. I wonder how his dad is feeling tonight.
• UW got the win over defending FCS champion Eastern Washington, but I think the game definitely showed some areas that need improvement. Can you say defense? The Huskies gave up 504 total yards, of which 473 came in the air. Now last year they couldn't stop the run, so it was good to see that improve, but wow, the Eagles definitely put it to them. They were lucky to have escaped with a win. Keith Price may have only thrown for 102 yards, but overall I really liked what I saw from him. It may not have been impressive, but I am excited for where this team might be able to go.
• I LOVE watching Hawaii play
• Terrible loss by Oregon St to FCS team Sacramento St. These are the games you are supposed to win
• Congrats to Baylor with their upset win over TCU. This is a team I have been hoping would make some noise because, quite frankly, I would LOVE to see their green and gold playing in a bowl game
• All the talk about relocation is making my head spin. Now the latest reports are suggesting Oklahoma, Oklahoma St, Texas and Texas Tech to the Pac 12. If the four schools stay put in the conference formerly known as the Big 12 then BYU might be the school to replace Texas A&M. Oh, and the Aggies to the SEC along with FSU may not be too far off. Just crazy stuff
• I can't believe that Greg Schiano has now been at Rutgers for 10 full years. He helped put the team on the map in 2006 with their 11-2 records but has since seen a slow decline (8-8, 8-5, 9-4 over the next three years). Last year they finished 4-8, the first losing season since 2004. This will be a key season for the Knights. You have to imagine he still has a long leash, but if they can't get to a bowl game, the pressure will start to mount. Now any rational observer would give him a long, long leash...I mean, Rutgers had NEVER been a contender before Schiano. He changed the culture and actually made it cool to support the Knights. Here's hoping 2010 was just a blip in the radar.
• Bucknell with a rare opening day win, 27-26 over Fordham. No analysis, just wanted to let everyone know

Good to have college football back.

Friday Morning Five-Pack

Is there anyone out there who thinks Matthew Perry's new sitcom, Mr Sunshine, is going to be any good? This has all the looks of another failed attempt by a Friends cast member to get back into tv...and with that comes a failed segue into my Friday Morning Five Pack. So let's get to it.

• I honestly have no analysis for the Super Bowl that people haven't heard. We know Green Bay can't run the ball on Pittsburgh, but we know where they are going to be able to throw the ball all day. For me the key will be the Steelers' experience. I think Green Bay is still young and will make a big mistake to cost them the game. Ultimately I am very excited for not only the game, but for Kim Kardashian's fourth quarter commercial as well. Bring it on.
• On this week's Raw, we saw a vignette of an unknown person in a raincoat walking in the rain up the stairs to a dark house with the date 2.21.11. Internet rumors instantly started that the unknown man was Sting and that he was coming to WWE to challenge the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. I have ordered 2 pay-per-views in my life and while I can't justify buying my third, if this was to happen, I would seriously have to think about it. That would be HUGE.
• Tickets to Cascadia Summit sold out real quickly. I am happy to say that I was one of the lucky ones to be able to get tickets. Like everyone else, I got crushed by the fees, but overall it was a painless experience. I am totally excited about the Sounders-Vancouver match and think it is going to be electric in a smaller, more intimate setting than Qwest. I have a lot more to say about the rave green, but will be saving it for another set of posts.
• Back in October I suggested that Georgia boosters give Mark Richt a break in the midst of his first down year. Well, it looks like it has paid off - the Dawgs got the 6th ranked recruiting class in the nation. Now it's not a huge surprise as they always seem to recruit well, but so do LSU, Bama, Auburn and Florida. The problem is always putting those classes together to make a super team. SEC teams have won 5 straight national titles and while UGA has to many holes to believe that 2011 is the year, but 2012 is definitely going to be fun. Meanwhile on the other side of the country, UW pulled in a top 25 recruiting class, thanks in large part to their Holiday Bowl win. The best part of their class is that they were able to secure the top 5 players from the state of Washington. This was a problem with the Willingham regime and a blueprint that Lorenzo Romar has succesfully used to build the bball program into a powerhouse.
• Stepping aside for a minute, how ridic is this whole ridiculous recruiting process? I was sickened by the coverage that ESPN gave signing day. Listen, I know that college football is a huge deal, but 18 year olds should not be trotted out on tv like they are adults. If they spurn one school for another, they become a villain and have their Facebook accounts and emails flooded with death threats. At the school they do commit to they become a legend and the instant exploitation begins. I would love to see a similar network spend that much time on the college choice of a top rated cello player or a Rhodes Scholar.
  

That's all I got for now. Enjoy the Super Bowl. Go Pack.