Can the Braves Hang On?

Well ladies and gents, here we are a week away from the MLB playoffs. Two spots are still up for grabs: the NL West and NL Wild Card. Between the Braves, Giants, and Padres, two of those three will be playoff bound. The Braves will play host to the the Phillies this weekend in the last ever regular season series for Bobby Cox. The Giants and Padres will do battle against one another to decide the fate of the NL West, and possibly the Wild Card.

For the Braves, it really is as simple as "win and your're in." Their magic number to clinch the Wild Card, something that Bobby Cox has yet to do, is down to four games. It's quite remarkable actually when you think about it. While the Braves have stuggled mightly in September and blew a good-sized division lead, the fact that they are this depleted and still have a shot at postseason is a huge accomplishment. Bobby Cox is once again showing us what we will miss come next year.

Currently, the Braves are without Prado, Jones, Jurrjens, and Saito. Those are four big pieces to the puzzle. Derek Lee, like I predicted earlier, has struggled. Nate McLouth is producing well and I think he will start all three games against Philly this weekend. Make no mistake about it though, the Braves may be one-and-done in the playoffs in terms of series. I am just not sure they can overcome other teams. Yes, they have played well against all the NL playoff teams, but postseason is a different beast all together. Throw out the book.

Before we discuss the postseason though, can the Braves hang on in the Wild Card? I think they can just by the mere fact that the Giants and Padres play each other this weekend. Someone has to lose out there. Plus, the Phillies will probably rest some of their starters. So, the Braves will have those two factors working in their favor.

I will make this prediction though. Eric Hinske, yes Eric Hinske, will be the glue that holds this team together. He is the one I want up in a big-time situation. Let's go Braves!!!

Admitting I Was Wrong

Well folks, in the words of Oklahoma State Coach Mike Gundy...."I'm a man!!!!' I can admit I am wrong. Earlier, I wrote that all of the talk about Les Miles and Mark Richt being on the "hot seat" were wrong and premature. So far, Les has held up his end of the bargain. LSU is off to a 4-0 start and my prediction of them being in the SEC Championship is still alive. They need to get their offense going though or that will not last much longer.

However, Mark Richt, after this weekend's loss to Miss. State, is seriously on the "hot seat." Georgia fans are livid! Rightfully so. This team is downright pathetic this year. Aaron Murray is the only player, outside of Walsh and Butler, that have done anything. All of his production is despite Mike Bobo, the "offensive coordinator." Georgia looks worse this year than at any other time under Mark Richt.

To be clear, I do not blame Todd Grantham yet. He needs time to recruit and teach the new defense. Nick Saban struggled mightly his first year at Alabama with a similar defense. However, the special teams and offense are downright atrocious. This is supposed to be Mark Richt's specialty. Bobo's playcalling is so predictable, a blind man could see it. I am so sick of the "they don't have AJ Green BS." They still have 3 awesome tight ends, 4 four-star receivers, and 3 "okay" RBs.

For Georgia though, the real problem is their toughness, or lack thereof. Simply put, the Dawgs are weak. They always get pushed around up front. Their o-line can't block and their d-line couldn't sack a scarecrow. The RBs always fall back and Ealey needs the jelly used my Gene Hackman on Orlando Jones in The Replacements. The Dawgs are slow and thin. The strength and conditioning of these players sucks. They always look tired and are out of shape.

Look, the solution is simple. Why not toss-sweep the ball and get someone like Carlton Thomas out in space. Mark Richt needs to mix up his offense like Saban and Meyer. I am so sick of watching this team. It's funny, every time I watch UGA play now, I always feel something bad is about to happen. Take the other night when Miss. State punted and the ball hit Rambo. It's that kind of crap that happens to you when things are not going your way.

Either way, Mark Richt is on the hot seat and he should be. You were right out there earlier when you told me I was crazy that he should not be at least feeling some heat. He should after the way his team keeps setting new lows each week. It's about being a champion. This UGA team is not that kind of group. That is the bottom line. I just hope Richt has not completely lost this team. One thing is for sure, he is losing the Bulldawg Nation!

SEC Week 3 Predictions

Week 3 gives us even more excitement around the SEC. For certain teams (UGA), it's due or die. For others, it's a chance to prove something to the people of the SEC (Arkansas and Tennessee).

Here we go:

ALABAMA v. DUKE: Kudos to both Alabama and Duke for playing this game at Duke. Duke had the chance to move it to Charlotte and make more money, but they did not so Duke could get football exposure. Good move I think. Unfortunately, it won't help with the outcome. I guess the Duke crowd could intimidate Alabama for about 10 seconds until the 30,000 Alabama fans there overtake them. With the return of Ingram and the lack of defense at Duke, only Nick Saban will stop this slaughter. My prediction: Alabama 48, Duke 7


FLORIDA v. TENNESSEE: This could be a possible upset if Tennessee had a better offense. I think they could and will hang with Florida on defense. Unfortunately for the Vols, the Gator D has played lights out so far, especially on pass defense. Look for Florida to force the Vols into 3rd and long situations. Make no mistake about it, I am predicting this to be Urban Meyer's last win in Knoxville for quite a while though. Derek Dooley will have his boys ready to play now and in the future. It will not be enough this day though as Florida will pull away late. My prediction: Florida: 27, Tennessee: 10


FURMAN v. SOUTH CAROLINA: Spurrier has his team on high alert for this one. There are two reasons for this. South Carolina got a big win over UGA last week and three FCS teams have won over FBS - BCS teams this year already. Furman is one of the elites in the Southern Conference (I-AA) where App. State, GA Southern, and others reside. This is the kind of game South Carolina could struggle with and I think Stephen Garcia will a little. Still, South Carolina will get it together. My prediction: South Carolina: 41, Furman: 14


ARKANSAS v. GEORGIA: This is the SEC game of the week in my opinion. It's really two "ranked" teams with a lot on the line. Is it just me or is UGA constantly in these positions? Arkansas brings its high expectations and six-game losing streak against UGA to Athens where one of those will fall. We know what Ryan Mallett can do with the offense, but the Arkansas defense will need to show its true self. It will have a chance this weekend. Aaron Murray and the predictable offense of UGA should be an OKAY test. The real challenge will be for Grantham and the UGA defense. Can they tackle better and win what is for sure a "must-win" game? For Mark Richt, this a sign of his team's character. I don't think they have it in them and this game will not be that close. My prediction: Arkansas: 35, UGA: 17


CLEMSON v.  AUBURN: This will be a great game and has even attracted the Gameday crew. The Auburn offense, led by Cam Newton, will be a force in the SEC this year. Clemson has Kyle Parker leading their offense and he has this Clemson team on the verge of the Top 25. However, this is their first true test of the year and it is coming in very hostile territory. Both offenses can score, so it will come down to defense. I think Auburn gets it done at home. My prediction: Auburn: 31, Clemson: 27


MISS. STATE v. LSU: Alright folks, here it is. This is my upset pick right here. Why not? LSU has not looked that good so far this season. This is the type of game that can give them some trouble, even at home. Dan Mullen's team does not want to fall into a 0-2 conference hole with UGA looming for them the following week. Can Manny Diaz's defense slow down Jefferson enough? Can Chavis stop an offensive scheme he has had a lot of trouble with in the past? I don't think he can. In an upset....My prediction: MSU: 21, LSU: 17


VANDERBILT v. OLE MISS: Something tells me Houston Nutt will tell his team to see Jacksonville State across every uniform they see for the rest of the season. This game right here will interesting. Ole Miss should win this at home. Yet, these are the types of games they seem to have trouble with under Nutt. Teams they should blow away and games that somehow end up being closer than they should be or Ole Miss will lose them. Vanderbilt is struggling on offense. They can never seem to get it together on that side of the ball. I see Ole Miss pulling away late. My prediction: Ole Miss: 28, Vandy: 10


AKRON v. KENTUCKY: I think it's safe to say Joker will be 3-0 after this game. This is a solid Kentucky team that is ready for the big game. Unfortunately, this is not it!  My prediction: Kentucky: 51, AKRON: 13

Rhetoric the Problem for Mark Richt?

Prior to this season, speculation roared out there that Georgia Coach Mark Richt was on the "hot seat." Indeed, the past two seasons at UGA have not lived up to expectations. Of course, a lot of that is Mark Richt's fault in the way that he talks about his team. Many of us saw last weekend what we suspected all along: South Carolina has good team this year. However, all offseason, Spurrier was dogging his team and Steven Garcia. As a result, South Carolina was not ranked for whatever reason going into the season. Now they 13 or 16, depending on the poll, and have proved they can win the East.

However, the opposite seems to be true with Richt. He and the team always talk about how they have some chip on their shoulders and how this season will be different. Going into last season, all we heard was that Bryan Evans found a home at safety and special plays would be called for Logan Gray. The defense was going to be a lot better and there would be less penalties. Oh yes, and the o-line would be the strength. Well, Richt was 0 for 5 on those predictions. The only one of those that made the slightest improvement was the o-line, and that was just the last four games.

See, my feeling is one that people probably haven't thought of much. Listen to Spurrier, Nick Saban, and Urban Meyer. They are constantly challenging their teams. For better or for worse, the criticisms fire up their teams. Their players strive week in and week out to get better. That's why they have a national championship or championships and Richt will never win one. His players always look unmotivated. They look like they were told that it's okay to take a game off here and there. Every year, UGA gets blown out of a big game. Afterward, UGA faithful listen to what went wrong. Well, I know what's wrong!

Every offseason, the UGA staff comes out and says how much better this team is from the previous year. Yet, the three years at least, that has not been the case. Fundamentals are clearly lagging. The strength, conditioning, and mental preparations are terrible. Those boys get rocked physically and knocked off the ball every game, even by inferior opponents. Of course, I don't blame the players entirely. Richt makes remarks each week about how sluggish practice looks on any given day. Well Coach, it is your job to challenge those boys and to make them line up and run the drills properly! That's what champions do. They put forth maximum effort and do it right. Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, and even Boise State now do all of that. That's why those teams win their respective conferences or are at least in the hunt each and every year now and UGA is not. 

This Saturday will reveal the character of this Mark Richt team as they attempt to do something that UGA football hasn't done in three years: WIN A BIG CONFERENCE GAME!! Saturday, the Dawgs will play Arkansas in Athens. This is the type of game Richt easily won in his early years but has lost a lot of in recent years. Personally, I don't think UGA has a chance if they play the way we have witnessed since 2008. Winning at home for Richt is harder than winning on the road. Sanford Stadium has a reputation of being one of the quietest stadiums in the land. Yet, what scares me the most is that I don't see any sense of urgency from this team. Granted, I have not seen practice this week, so I don't know. I highly doubt though that we will see much difference this week against Arkansas. Sure, we are told the playbook will be opened up more for Aaron Murray. Does that sound familiar? See above! I guess we will see one more play-action pass than last week. 

Look, I like Coach Richt and I think he is a excellent and passionate coach. However, the UGA faithful are clearly tiring of all this talk and no walk. The Dawgs are a loss away this weekend from having their season all but over. That is unacceptable to any team, especially UGA! If Mark Richt and this team really do have pride and motivation, then they show up to both practice and the game this week, play as hard as they can on every play, and show the nation they are not going away this season.

There is the challenge boys!

Horrible Week for Georgia Sports

What the hell was in the water in Georgia this past week? The Braves are about to go from being in first place to losing the wild card. The Falcons once again proved me correct in that they cannot beat a "big-named" team (Steelers, Colts, Patriots, Cowboys, Packers to name a few). You know, the traditional powerhouses. Georgia State lost to a NAIA team in Lambuth, who might have to close because their finances suck. Georgia Tech lost to Kansas team that scored three points against North Dakota State the week before. Georgia couldn't have tackled a dummy standing at the fifty yard line in its game against South Carolina. I guess the only "bright spot" was Georgia Southern hanging in there for a while against Navy. Good Lord, could it be more depressing? Next thing you know, the Hawks will sign Starbury. That would do it!

Now I will explain what I think is wrong with each one:

Braves: The bottom line here is the loss of Chipper Jones has caught up to them. They aren't hitting right now, which is putting a lot more pressure on the pitching staff. If this sounds like a familiar story, it should. See their record of success using this formula back in April where they lost 9 in a row. Hell, they just went 3-4 at home the last seven games and lost 2 of 3 to the damn Nationals or Natinals, whichever sounds better.

Falcons: Look, I am not a diehard Falcons fan, so I can be objective here. The Falcons cannot beat big-named teams. That's the bottom line. Their history suggests as much. I think they are going to be fine and will rebound to win 10 games. Of course, they do play Green Bay and Baltimore, not to mention NOLA twice. They better be close to perfect the rest of the way against other teams.

Georgia State Panthers: They are a new team. That's all I can say on this. They are still growing and it was only their second game out. I was at their first game and they really didn't look as impressive as the score would indicate. They will improve though.

Georgia Tech: GT got caught with their pants down. No other way to say it. It was a classic trap game. They travelled a good ways to play a team with talent that got upset big time a week earlier. Their new defense under Al Groh is still taking shape. I am not worried as much about Tech and I think they will still be in the race for the ACC crown. They really need to cut down on penalties though.

Georgia: Surprisingly, there is not much that can't be improved in a hurry with this team. Their defense was in position all game against South Carolina to make plays. They just didn't! Baccari Rambo, who many love from last year, is clearly pulling a Randy Moss on several plays and he needs to quit that stuff now. Obviously they need to quit Willie Martinez's version of tackling and go low. On offense, Richt and Bobo need to let Aaron Murray play. The o-line needs to stop sucking so much and dig in like men. They have to hold better and run block better. Another loss this weekend and the season is gone!

Georgia Southern: The Eagles played well against Navy this weekend. Two triple-option teams going at it in the "Paul Johnson" cup. New Eagles Coach Jeff Monken is doing a great job so far reinstalling what was major key to success for the Eagles under Erk Russell and Paul Johnson. It will take some time, but the Eagles should be coming back soon.

I guess the lesson to take away from this past week is that we need to have patience. Yet, let's be real. That's not going to happen. I will say that Mark Richt and Todd Grantham better have those boys ready to play Saturday. Make no mistake Coach Richt, the UGA faithful are tired of the excuses on play-calling and lack of execution. DELIVER!!!

A.J. Green to Sit 3 More Games

Well, it appears Mark Richt and UGA have their answer. A.J. Green must sit for three more games. All of which are going to be huge for UGA (@ South Carolina, Arkansas, and @ Miss State). Make no mistake about it folks, this is a huge loss for the Dawgs. Green is without question the best playmaker on the team and they need his ability to go long so that teams will not be able to stack the box on Aaron Murray and the running game.

UGA Athletic Director Greg McGarity has confirmed the school will appeal this to the NCAA. Personally, I think this is harsh on the part of the NCAA. Green has repaid the money to a charity already. He was forthcoming and apologized. I guess he would have been better off going to the party in Miami like Marcell Dareus of Alabama. At least then he would have been suspended only two games.

The NCAA is obviously trying to make a statement. Look, I hold A.J. Green and the players accountable, and he should be. Sitting out one more game is just. However, the NCAA says selling your jersey warrents a bigger and more severe punishment than attending an agent-sponsored party. Does anybody else think that's a load of crap?

NFL, NBA Must Step Up on Agents

Last Saturday night, I watched in awe and admiration of the effort put up by the UNC Tar Heel football team against a foe (LSU) who I thought was already the more talented team out there. They stood tall against LSU with thirteen of their best players suspended and almost capped off a miraculous comeback to win the game. Of course, we can debate Les Miles and LSU's philosophy on this all day, but that is not the point. Just imagine if UNC had even some of its players for that game. Could they have won? Sure they could have. Yet, we will never know.

This weekend, South Carolina and Georgia will battle it out in Columbia in what should be another fierce duel between these rivals. Besides trying to unseat Florida in the East, these two schools have something else in common. They are both waitng for rulings by the NCAA that will determine the eligibility of some
of their players. Understand, especially in the case of A.J. Green for Georgia, these players being on the field could make or break the Eastern division race this year.

While the A.J. Green story seems to have shifted to the illegal selling of a jersey, it all started with the infamous party in Miami to determine whether or not he was there. This is the same agent-party that cost UNC, hurt Alabama, and is keeping South Carolina on hold. Also, Florida is still waitng to hear back on Maurkice Pouncy and his issue. Combine this with Reggie Bush and other other related issues, and we have a serious problem. That problem involves AGENTS, or to use a "Sabanism," "pimps."

However you want to spell it out, we have a problem with these kids and agents. No matter how hard schools try, agents and runners still get though to these athletes. It not only costs the athlete, but the whole team and university for many years to come as USC just found out in the harshest fashion. So, it naturally begs the question: "What can be done to halt this?"

My solution is rather simple. The NFL and NBA need to step it up and help the universities with this problem. If they won't voluntarily do it, then the NCAA needs to make them. Nick Saban and Urban Meyer had the right idea: ban scouts from practice. Yet, this does not work on a school-by-school basis. In fact, it hurts recruiting. However, the NCAA could make it nationwide and apply to all schools like so many other rules. That would accomplish something I am sure.

Still, the big steps are going to have to be taken by the NFL and NBA. They need to realize that they have something to lose here and that it is within their best interests to help these kids. To me, a good place to start would be fining all of the players who cause schools to have punishments levied against them. I think a million dollars sent to the school for every game retroactively forfeited would help. To use the Reggie Bush example, he would owe USC about fourteen or fifteen million dollars as punishment or risk being banned from the NFL in every way. I think that would get the attention of both NFL and NBA players. Hitting people in the wallets always works.

Now, the harshest punishment should be reserved for the agents and runners who are responsible for initiating all of this crap. I think a lifetime ban from those respective leagues would serve as a just punishment for breaking the rules. In other professions, people would lose their ability to practice for such infractions and unethical behavior.

Either way you look at it, the NFL and NBA will have to step up here. This should not fall soley on the kids and universities. I feel bad for USC players in basketball and football now. Most were still in middle school and early high school when all of this went down. Now they can't even go to postseason for two years because of what Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo did. Hell, I would fine Reggie Bush anyway because it appears his biggest concern is losing the Heisman, not the feelings and devastation felt by all those players and coaches he let down.

So what do you think? What can be done on this issue?

Apprehension Building Around A.J. Green Situation

Another day is going by without a ruling on the eligibility of UGA WR A.J. Green. Rumors are swirling that the NCAA investigation of Green is going beyond the party in Miami that has led to suspensions at Alabama, UNC, and USC. Green was held out of Georgia's 55-7 win Saturday over ULL as a result of questions surrounding his eligibility. 

Green has denied from the beginning that he ever attended the party. There is even some evidence that shows he was not there. So, that now begs the question "If not the party, then what is the issue?" Well, Richt and Green are not allowed to comment. Let's assume for a second that it is not the party the NCAA is looking at with Green. Message boards today say it could be related to an insurance policy he took out on himself this past offseason. Others say it's about him autographing and selling gameday apparel on e-bay. The insurance policy is not unusual itself. The question surrounds whether or not Green is paying for it himself or if someone else is picking up the tab. If that's the case, then that's a NCAA violation. To make matters worse, people are suggesting Green has pulled a Dez Bryant and lied to the NCAA. Not good!

Personally, I am not sure what is going on with this situation. I expect the NCAA will issue a ruling this week. UGA and Coach Richt need an answer before this weekend's showdown with South Carolina. As each day passes though, the news looks more and more bleak for UGA and Green. It means it's not party  related since that seems pretty cut and dry. No, it would seem to go deeper than that. I just hope it's nothing that goes back throughout Green's career at UGA, for that could mean 18 wins would be vacated. 

Make no mistake about it, losing Green would be a huge blow to the UGA offense. The good news for UGA is that they have a solid offensive line and running game. They are very deep at tight end and the other receivers are very talented. Plus, the defense and special teams looked solid in the opening game. Ultimately, the defense has the step up anyway. Yet, Green is the best player on the team in my opinion. With Murray being a redshirt freshman, Green's presence is all but necessary. 

Either way, this does not make Mark Richt's job any easier. They are already an underdog in Columbia this weekend and will need Green if they are to make a run at the East. However, it looks more and more everyday like that may not happen. Let's hope for the best with Green and the other players at other schools. I hate seeing schools lose their players over things like this.

What We Learned in Week 1 (SEC)

1) Defense (for the most part) carried the day. Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi State all held their opposition under ten points. Florida only gave up twelve and their defense stepped up big in the game against Miami (OHIO). Of course, we have to take all of this with a grain of salt. All of these teams played 1-AA or lower 1-A teams. Still, for teams like Tennessee, Arkansas, and Georgia, these games had to be a true sign of optimism. Georgia was really flying to the ball well. Derek Dooley and Justin Wilcox had Tennessee moving as well. Kentucky and Vanderbilt also played extremely well. I think the East will be a lot stronger on the defensive side of the ball than people think. Again though, let's not get too carried away. The next two weeks should tell us a lot more.

2) So far, so good with the new coaches and coordinators. It was one hell of a weekend for the new coaches and coordinators around the league. Teryl Austin's defense at Florida was stout. They had two sacks and four interceptions on route to a 34-12 win. Derek Dooley did a tremendous job with Tennessee this weekend. A shutout was just what the doctor ordered for UT. They played hard and Matt Simms looked very poised out there. Oregon will be a great test for them. Joker Phillips had his Kentucky team ready to play and confirmed what I already suspected: Kentucky will be a force in the East. Manny Diaz was a great hire by Dan Mullen and Miss. State. They had two interceptions and gave up only 237 yards to what could be a potent Memphis team. Finally, hats off to Todd Grantham and his new 3-4 at UGA. I was in Athens for the game and it's been years since I have seen the UGA defense look that good. Grantham got the crowd fired up when he was screaming his head off at ULL's touchdown pass. Again though, a lot more will be learned over the next two weeks.

3) I may have been wrong about LSU. Going into this season, I picked LSU to win the West. However, after watching them against a depleted UNC team the other night, there is a lot to question about LSU. Granted, UNC is well-coached and full of talent. Still, there is no excuse for LSU to come out and play the way they did in the second half. They had no heart and played with zero intensity.  They almost (and should have) lost that game after leading 30-10 at halftime. UNC dropped several would-be touchdown passes in the game. LSU played soft all game on defense and offense. I swear, the more I look back at the 2007 BCS team, I believe that was still Nick Saban's influence more than Les Miles'. He is going to have to do some real coaching with his team if they are going to compete and win the West. Another 8-4 season will not sit well with the LSU faithful, but that effort the other night will produce that type of result.

4) Florida may be ranked too high. Back in 2007, I remember Florida opening the season at #3 in the country. This coming after they lost a lot on defense and Chris Leak. They ended up losing four games that year. I have said all along that this could be a similar year. Well, Florida did nothing the other day to show me I was wrong. Now, I know this is the first game and that Urban Meyer is not to be doubted, but they left a lot to be desired against Miami (OHIO). They botched about 13 snaps and really struggled on offense and special teams. Those are two things you would not expect from and Urban Meyer team. Now, I will point out that Florida has struggled on offense early in the season the last two years and they seemed to be able to rebound quite well. I am sure they will do it again this year. However, with the way South Carolina and Georgia played Saturday, the East appears to be even more wide open.

5) Ole Miss needs to gets its head on straight. Whether you are an all-around SEC fan or not, I am sure we can all agree that this was an embarrassing loss not only for Ole Miss, but for the entire conference. I know Ole Miss is supposed to be down a little this year, but there is no excuse for that kind of a meltdown against an FCS team at home. Houston Nutt needs to get his team straight or this could really have ramifications. Giving up 49 points is bad enough for a team where defense was supposed to be the strength, but to do it the way they did was even more pathetic. I expect Ole Miss to rebound from this and start playing better. They, like LSU, need to realize that you have to play the second half as well. Still, Nutt and Nix are too good of coaches to let this team slide.

Spurrier's Last Opening Game?

In what has to be more of a tradition than the chicken curse, South Carolina will open the season on a Thursday night on ESPN. They will get their first test against Southern Miss tonight in Columbia. Could this be Spurrier's last opening game ever? Stay tuned for another disappointing season of South Carolina football to find out.

ACC Predictions

Here are my ACC predictions. I want to start out by saying that I expect VA Tech to beat Boise State. I think Bud Foster and Frank Beamer will come through on this one. However, that has nothing to do with the overall ACC. Let's take a look at how I think they will finish.

COASTAL:
1) Virginia Tech
2) Georgia Tech
3) Miami
4) North Carolina
5) Duke
6) Virginia

ATLANTIC:
1) Boston College
2) Florida State
3) Clemson
4) Wake Forest
5) NC State
6) Maryland

Obviously, the Coastal is much stronger. You couldn't go wrong with any of the top 4 there. I just think VA Tech is due for a rebound and will take the division. UNC has too many questions with the NCAA investigation. I am taking GA Tech over Miami simply because GT hosts that game and we have learned to never underestimate Paul Johnson. If Al Groh's 3-4 defense can hold down anyone, they could win this thing.

On the Atlantic side, Boston College seems to sneak up on people quite often. No one thinks they can win. I beg to differ. I am not sold on FSU's defense quite yet. I am not saying they can't do it, but for now I am sticking with BC. Clemson should also be solid, but they lost a lot with CJ Spiller going to the NFL. Unless there is major improvement, this is the last year of Tom O'Brian and Ralph Friedgen at NC State and Maryland respectively.

For the third time in four years, VA Tech will beat Boston College for the ACC Championship!

Birth of A Program Tonight

We could be witnessing the beginning of something special tonight. At 7:30 this evening, Bill Curry will lead the first annual Georgia State Panther football team onto the turf of the Georgia Dome. Star Jackson, for Alabama QB, will lead the way on the field against Shorter. If you live in the Atlanta area, come on down and witness a little history.

In the meantime, I have a question I would like answered from you. Which current team will GA State MOST resemble? Will this team be like South Florida? A team that is in a big city, plays in a pro stadium, and could move into a BCS conference in 12 years? Will they be Tulane? A team that plays in an NFL Dome, big city, and doesn't accomplish much? Finally, could they resemble Georgia Southern? A nobody to winning multiple national championships with a legendary coach within six years? Time will tell. 

Here's to hoping victory number one comes tonight!