Morning Wrap: Alabama Survives Iron Bowl Track Meet

((ht: espn.com))

It was the highest scoring game in the amazing history of the Alabama vs. Auburn game.

A game won by Alabama 55-44 and which featured over 1100 total yards and at least two statistics guys who passed out from exhaustion. (just kidding--they really did combine for 1100+ yards though)

A game that featured Auburn QB Nick Marshall throwing for 456 yards and 3 TD's and featured Alabama star WR Amari Cooper catching 13 passes for 223 yards and 3 TD's.

And a game that had SEC fans nervous, because a Crimson Tide loss likely would have kept the SEC out of the inaugural College Football Playoff.

But the 101,000 + and a national television audience got to see a long, long game that went to the wire. It took Bama scoring 3 straight TD's in the 4th quarter to give the Tide their 11th win on the season while dropping the Tigers to 8-4.

Alabama will move on to play SEC Champ Missouri in the Georgia Dome for the SEC title. If they win that game, they'll be playing for a shot at the College Football Playoff title.

Auburn will be heading to a bowl game as 12 SEC teams qualified to play in bowls this season.

Your highlights from ESPN.com:

Morning Wrap: LSU Beats Texas A and M on Apparent No-Call

The Texas A and M Aggies are not happy this day after Thanksgiving.

The are mad because they feel a no-call by the referee's cost them the game Thursday night vs. LSU.

Driving down the field with less than 2 minutes left in the game, the Aggies lined up to pass, when it appeared that LSU's nose tackle may have jumped---albeit barely--offsides.

The whistle did not blow, but Aggie QB Kyle Allen did what he thought was the right thing and continued the play, throwing a wounded duck of a pass that was picked off by a Tigers Defensive Back.

Quite honestly, LSU should have won the game easily. They dominated time of possession, holding the ball for over 41 minutes. 

Fabulous freshman Leonard Fournette ran for 146 yards and an amazing TD, where he ran over an A and M safety like he wasn't there.

The win moves LSU to 8-4 on the season, 4-4 in the SEC West. A and M drops to 7-5, 3-5 in the SEC West.

Both teams will be playing in Bowl games this December.

Your highlights from ESPN:

Rivalry Week Primer: Arkansas With Hype Video for Missouri Game

((ht: arkansas razorbacks))

It's not exactly a classic "rivalry", but it's a pretty big SEC game. Arkansas, winner of three straight SEC games squares off with Missouri.

For the Razorbacks, a bowl berth could be on the line, for the Tigers, win and they clinch the SEC East title and a shot at playing in the SEC Title game next week.

The Razorbacks appear to be ready as evidenced by this killer hype video. It's very well done, we like the colorization and graphics, well done Arkansas video team...

Morning Wrap: Never Disrespect The Saban; Bama Handles Mississippi St.

((ht: cbssports.com))

It wasn't always pretty, but it was a win over the team that walked into Bryant-Denny stadium ranked first in every poll.

Alabama used their stable of running backs and long, powerful 4th quarter touchdown drive to hold off top ranked Mississippi State 25-20 Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs had more yards running and passing and controlled the ball for large chunks of the game, but couldn't overcome Dak Prescott's three interceptions.

Tide QB Blake Sims threw for and efficient 211 yards, T.J Yeldon ran for 72 yards and a score. Which was just barely enough to hold off a valiant Miss. St team which scored with 15 seconds to go to tighten the game.

But they could not recover the ensuing onside kick.

The win puts Bama in the SEC West drivers seat, they are 9-1, 6-1 in the SEC. The Tide still has an Iron Bowl battle with Auburn staring them in the face after next weeks game with Western Carolina.

As for Mississippi St., they drop to 9-1, 5-1 in the SEC. They have games with Vanderbilt and arch-rival Ole Miss to wrap up the season.

Your highlights from CBS Sports:

Morning Wrap: Alabama Steals Win at LSU

((ht: cbssports.com))

It wasn't a pretty win for the Alabama Crimson Tide, but this 2nd weekend in November, a win is a win and we're fairly certain the Tide will take it.

Alabama beat LSU 20-13 in Overtime Saturday night in a game they probably shouldn't have won.

The Tigers went toe-for-toe with the Tide, LSU taking a 13-10 lead when Kicker Colby Delahoussaye drilled a 39-yard field goal.

But the ensuing kickoff, LSU's kicker pull hooked one out of bounds giving Alabama the ball on their own 35. Tide QB Blake Sims got his team close enough for Kicker Adam Griffith to split the uprights from 27-yards with 3 seconds left to tie the game.

And in the 1st overtime session, Sims threw a 6-yard TD pass to DeAndrew White to seal the victory.

Bama moves to 8-1, 5-1 in the SEC, LSU drops to 7-3, 3-3 in the SEC. The path for Alabama is clear now, they win the Iron Bowl, and they play for the SEC title and a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Your highlights from CBSSports.com:

Morning Wrap: Auburn Escapes Ole Miss in Crazy Finish

It's not often a football game is clinched with a fumble recovery in the end zone. But that's exactly what happened Saturday night at the end of the Auburn-Ole Miss game won by the Tigers 35-31.

Auburn's Cassanova McKenzie came out of a pile with a ball fumbled by Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell as Treadwell was trying to score with about 2-minutes left in the game. Treadwell had broken several tackles and was about to score what may have been the game winner when he fumbled with about 1:30 left in the game. Replay confirmed the call on the field that he fumbled and McKenzie's recovery gave Auburn the ball on the 20.

He (Treadwell) also got hurt on the play, breaking his leg.

Auburn could not run out the clock though. Ole Miss got the ball back at midfield with 49 seconds left in the game.

Rebels QB Bo Wallace who had fumbled the ball earlier in the 4th quarter, tried in vain to rally his team, but 3 straight incomplete passes and a busted play on 4th down, ended the game.

The win, in a game that could almost be considered an SEC West playoff knockout game, moved Auburn to 7-1, 4-1 in the SEC. The Tigers still have games left with Georgia (which looks more winnable today) and Alabama.  Ole Miss dropped their 2nd straight SEC game and is likely out of playoff consideration.

Your highlights from the folks at ESPN:

Texas A&M Suspends QB Kenny Hill for 2 Games

((ht: collegefootballtalk.com))

Well, that love affair ended quickly.

Texas A&M announced Saturday morning that very recently demoted quarterback Kenny Hill will be suspended for 2 games after a violation of team rules and athletic department policies.

#aggiefootball #tamu Kenny Hill has been suspended for two games.
— Aggie Sports (@Aggie_Sports) November 1, 2014

#aggiefootball #tamu Kenny Hill has been suspended for two games.
— Aggie Sports (@Aggie_Sports) November 1, 2014

Hill, who after a stellar opening week performance against South Carolina, got his family to try and trademark the name "Trill" Hill, has been considerably less than stellar since that performance. The premature Heisman hype that came after the game has totally disappeared.

Coach Kevin Sumlin promoted true freshman Kyle Allen to take over against Louisiana-Monroe for the reeling Aggies who have lost the past three games and after being in the early season Top-10, has fallen completely out of the rankings.

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Truth!

And the truth is, we've hit the College Football Playoff rankings time.

Let's just say, the way overhyped first edition left more than a few observers scratching their collective heads.

Okay, maybe not all of us.

Our point is; that's not going to be how they finish. No way. Too many rivalry games. All the SEC West teams still play one another. And TCU still has to play Kansas State.

A lot of things will change. Trust us. Things in college football always change.



Haha! Enjoy your cheesy 1980's video---

Us, we're moving on. Mostly because there's some bragging to be done here....

11-2 last week. Not bad. We've been pretty consistent this season. Consistently good that is!....Haha!

No, seriously, the 11-2 mark makes us 89-18 on the season and while not perfect, it is pretty damn impressive...

But enough about me. It's time to get "On with the Countdown"...

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida State 7-0. Still don't like them. Still hope they lose. But not seeing it. Jimbo Fisher is a moron who thinks the SEC and ESPN is ganging up on him. Ha! You really are stupid Jimbo. You don't get it. It's not, nor has it ever been about you. But...they still are the defending champs and as the Nature Boy always says;



And that ain't happening. This Week: at Lousiville, Our Pick: FSU 38, Louisville 31

2) Mississippi State 7-0. Sure, they struggled with a better Kentucky team. But they get credit for surviving the 1st part of their SEC gauntlet. Still have games with Bama and Ole Miss left. Survive that and yeah, you may be the man...This Week: vs. Arkansas, Our Pick: Miss St. 37, Ark. 23

3) Alabama 7-1. Are they back? Did they ever leave? Sure...they coasted after getting a quick lead on Tennessee but nobody can stop Amari Cooper on offense. He and Blake Sims have transformed a once slow motion Tide offense. And that may get them back to the title game. Sigh...This Week: BYE

4) Auburn 7-1. Time to play big boy football there Tigers. You've had a few good breaks this season. The offense has struggled at times. The defense more so. But time to step up. After this week, you still have Georgia and Alabama to deal with. This Week: at Ole Miss, Our Pick: Ole Miss 27, Auburn 23

5) Ole Miss 7-1. Best defense in all the land. And had Bo Wallace not totally brain-farted, the Rebs might still be undefeated. But that's all it takes to change the season. These guys still have a chance to get in the playoff. Win this week and all that's left is the Egg Bowl. This Week: See #4

6) Kansas St. 7-1. The Wildcats are a couple missed field goals from being undefeated. And they are much better than you think. They just quietly go about their business and in the Big 9(12), as long as you play defense you have a shot. They play defense. This Week: vs. Oklahoma St., Our Pick: K-State 38, Okie St. 31

7) Oregon 7-1. The Ducks are still the Ducks and they'll always be loved by the pollsters. And as long as they have Marcus Mariota, they have a chance to beat anyone. But as always--they still suck on defense and tend to lose if under pressure. We'll see if that holds true. This Week: vs. Stanford, Our Pick: Oregon 43, Stanford 31

8) Michigan State 7-1. Your Little 10 champs? Maybe. We should know better after this week. They've scored a ton of points this year, given up a lot too. Beat Ohio State, they are likely to walk away with the title. B1G title that is. This Week: BYE

9) TCU 7-1. The temptation is to rank them higher after Trevonne Boykin and his pals dropped 82 on Texas Tech. And hey, that makes them the #1 in scoring avg this season. But...there are still roadblocks ahead. And if the Froggies don't play better D, they won't get past them. This Week: at West Virginia, Our Pick: West By-Gawd 51, TCU 47---UPSET ALERT!!

10) Notre Dame 7-1. Confession. We are not fans of the Irish. And it sometimes affects our ranking of the boys from South Bend. But...keep in mind, it's mostly because they are usually way overrated. This, to us, is the right place for them. But they could jump if the teams ahead cannibalize themselves. This Week: at Navy, Our Pick: Notre Dame 41, Navy 23

11) Georgia 7-1. Bad news--no Todd Gurley for 2 more weeks. Good news--The Dawgs haven't needed him. The improving defense has helped UGA get the table set to make this a memorable season. But they too always seem to gag under pressure. Can they avoid it this year? This Week: vs. Florida, Our Pick: UGA 23, UF 13

12) Arizona 7-1. Go Rich Rods...A bad, close loss to to Southern Cal is the only blemish for the Wildcats. But props to these guys. They've become relevant again after a long time out of the spotlight. And hey, they beat Oregon. So that counts too. This Week: at UCLA, Our Pick: Fighting Rodriguez's 37, UCLA 30

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



5) UConn 1-6. Oh, poor, poor UConn. How many years ago was it you were playing in the Fiesta Bowl game? Amazing how fast fortunes can turn. This is a bad team that is likely to run the table. Except they finish with a Toilet Bowl game vs. SMU. This Week: vs. UCF, Our Pick: UCF 37, UConn 12

4) Georgia State 1-7. Guess the Panthers picked a bad week to play the nations best running team last week. 600 plus yards and 60-plus points later, Ga. Southern walked away with a win. There may be A winnable game on the schedule, but which one? This Week: at Appalachian St., Our Pick: Appy State 37, Ga. State 21

3) Tulsa 1-6. Another team that had a good run in the not so distant past. But hard times have come to their town. And we don't know if things are going to get better either. (Cheesy 80's music references--look them up). This Week: at Memphis, Our Pick: Memphis 31, Tulsa 23

2) Troy 1-7. The Trojans need to just write off this season. It's been ug, ug, ugly and it's not going to get better either...



No, even Trojan Man can save them. This Week: at Ga. Southern, Our Pick: Ga.Southern 51, Trojan Man 27

1) SMU 0-7. Come on man! Mack Brown? Really? Mack can't be that stupid, this is a horrid team. Must have been some sort of dream by the Dallas Morning News. Right? And hey, the Mustangs hit double figures last week (10pts)...so things are looking up. This Week: BYE, Our Pick: BYE 41, SMU 3 Ha!

So...are ya ready for November? Things are getting ready to change...a lot. Too many teams playing too many teams in the polls. They will cannibalize themselves. Really, they will...just wait and see...

We leave you with New Music Thursday---a very cool song:

ICYMI: Alabama Sends Message, Destroys Texas A&M

You shouldn't like Nick Saban when he's angry. For that matter, you probably shouldn't make Nick Saban angry.

Just a week after Saban went ballistic on everyone questioning how good his Alabama team was after barely beating Arkansas, the Tide took out a bit of frustration against an overwhelmed Texas A&M team.

The final score: 59-0. And it wasn't that close. It was 45-0 at the half.

Blake Sims threw for 268 yards and 3 TD's and T.J Yeldon ran for 114 yards and 2 TD's, which was way more than enough to secure an Alabama win.

As for the Aggies, who started out as everyone's darlings after blowing out a mediocre South Carolina team,  it's their 3rd straight loss. And QB Kenny Hill, who played so well in that game that he started looking into how to trademark the nickname "Trill" Hill...well, he threw for 138 yards and questions about his abilities have began creeping up in College Station.

The game reinforced that Alabama is going to have a say as to who wins the brutal SEC West. And it may have said, the winner is going to have to prove they can beat the Tide, which is not going to be easy.

CBSSports gives us our highlights:

BUZZER BEATER: Releford Buries Ole Miss Snapping Alabama's 4-Game Losing Streak

((HT: SEC on ESPN))

This was a bad loss for Ole Miss and Andy Kennedy...

Too many times in the last ten seconds that the ball was in the hands of Bama's Trevor Releford...
And he closed the deal...


"We were running, and when I caught it back I saw Marshall (Henderson) try to slip the screen so I just crossed back over and took the shot. I took what he gave me.” Releford said.

He [Releford] really carried them down the stretch which is what a senior all-league player does, and he made a big shot.” Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy said.

Releford finished the game with a team high 26 points.

Most importantly Releford's game winner snapped Alabama's four game losing streak.

"It was a lot of relief (for) the players," Releford said. "We've been coming out and practicing hard, and we just needed a win. We deserved it.

"I'm happy for everybody on the team and glad we got the win."

2 TAMU Starters Accused In April Beating, One Arrested

((HT: KBTX-TV))

According to a police report out of College Station, Texas two victims and witnesses told local police that there had been an altercation at a place called the "Hookah Station" on April 7 when two Texas A&M starters Floyd Raven, Senior (mugshot off to the right, thanks to the Brazos County Sheriff's Department) and Deshazor

Everett had been spraying champagne- angering another group of patrons.

Raven and Everett have been charged with two counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief for an incident after the initial contact where the victims returned to their apartment complex and were pulled out of their own car by a large group of people that included the two football players.

Police interviewed the two players who later claimed that "eight to ten unknown men" joined them.

Everett told police he came face-to-face with one of the victims in the melee, but he claims that someone else punched that particular person and knocked him down.

Raven, when interviewed, said a person he "had problems with" at the bar threw a punch and missed. Raven told police he followed up with two punches and knocked the man down. Raven was jailed late Monday morning with bond set at $4,000 for each of the three charges he faces. Everett had not been arrested as of early Monday afternoon.

One of the victims said there was nearly $1,400 in damage done to his SUV.

You might remember Everett for doing this last season...
((HT: SEC Digital Network))


"The Hookah Station...?"
Really...???

Rodney Garner To Auburn

Phillip Marshall at Auburn Undercover gets this one...

And, for new head coach Gus Malzahn, it's a good get...

Garner gets the title of Assistant Head Coach, D-Line coach, and recruiting coordinator... Actually, that's a lot of titles and the chance for Garner to "come home."

More when we know more...

We know more:

It's official, with Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn releasing the following statement last night:

"We are excited to announce Rodney Garner as our assistant head coach and defensive line coach. Rodney is one of the top defensive line coaches in college football who has had great success in the Southeastern Conference. We're excited to welcome an Auburn man back home."

Garner will work with incoming defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson on a totally revamped Auburn staff that may struggle a bit early, but suddenly looks like they have the potential to resuscitate a program that had pretty much fallen flat on its face under former coach Gene Chizik.

Iron Bowl: Chizik Addresses Job Future (Or Not)

((HT: al.com/Goldberg))

Or, to be more accurate, tried to deflect questions about his job future since he said the post-game press conference was "not about him."

This display below shows either hubris, ignorance, or a combination of both...
Mix in a profound lack of eye contact and you've got a coach who is either putting up a good front or has a real idea that he thinks his job is safe...

There were too many elements in Chizik's answers that deserved actual laughter and should have followed up his answers with the following response: "Really...??? Really...???"

But, hey, the HQ decided to let the presser go for what it was...

A fine coda to describe how a program hired the wrong coach and needs to do a systematic purge in their athletics offices or risk becoming more irrelevant than they already became in only an all-too-fast two year period...

What say you...???

Les Miles Should Lead Our Armed Forces From This Moment Forward...

((HT: Jacques Doucet))

Just watch his opening statement from the Ole Miss postgame press conference...


If this man does NOT lead men into battle to take any hill that needs to be taken, then we as a nation have sorely misplaced our value in enthusiastic leaders of young men...

The only things missing were the Jim Craig-like pose with Les wearing an American flag searching for Bobby Hebert and a quartet in perfect four-part harmony singing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic..."

Carry on 'muricah...
Your country and passions are safe for another night...

ICYMI: Bama Escapes LSU In One Piece

AJ McCarron was, to put it in a word, REALLY ineffective in the second half against LSU as the top-ranked team in the country was in a fight that a lot of people knew would happen eventually...

"Every Thursday, we go through a two-minute drill," McCarron said after. "We go against a pretty tough defense in practice, too. The confidence level was that we would go and score a touchdown.

"This place is awesome to play in," he told ESPN. "It's something special to play here. Everyone had the look in their eyes that we would go down and win."

McCarron also joked that the offensive line wouldn't have to pay for a meal all week long when they return to Tuscaloosa...

Here's the end of the drive that took the Tide to the game-winning score for TJ Yeldon...
((HT: CBSSports.com))

 

72 yards in 43 seconds...
Not bad...

But the HQ, and a lot of people surrounding the HQ, thought that #lesbeingles killed Les Miles in this game as he went 0-for-3 in gambles (the fake FG, the onside kick, and the 4th-and-1 into the pile in the 4th quarter)...

And it will be the gambles that LSU people will remember...

How Fired Is Gene Chizik Now...??? 63 Points Worth Of Fired...

((HT: al.com/McAllister))

The HQ would say "pretty fired," but under the auspice of it not happening until December 1st when the buyout drops $2.5-million to $7.5-million from the astronomically, ungodly number $10-million.

Unless, of course, Charles Barkley has some poker money laying around to cut the check RAHT NAH!

The level of #Chizitude has reached 11 on the Plains...
Why 11...???


Let's see what the Auburn Tigers did this week against Texas A&M (or, more accurately didn't do against the Aggies)in losing 63-21...

A&M scored on their first 6 possessions, had four scores before Auburn had a "first down," rolled up the most yards against any Auburn team ever (671), was only five points shy of giving the Tigers their worst beating ever (68 by Georgia Tech in 1917), and gave them their worst home beating ever (previous margin 42 points).

And Chizik is not worried about his job security...

The reason he's not worried...???
Probably, because there is no job security at present...

Wonder who starts against New Mexico State next weekend...???

OSG Sports previews the SEC West because we did the East too

SEC West

Yes, this is where the power currently sits. The top 3 here more than likely would win the East, but they aren't in the East...so they can't.

1) LSU  12-0, 8-0 in the conference

Overview: This is the best team in the SEC, even without the Honey Badger. And the deepest. They need Zack Mettenberger to be better than Jordan Jefferson was, which shouldn't be difficult. If that happens, nobody will stop them. 

Offense: QB Mettenberger is a classic, drop back thrower. He's not fast, but doesn't have to be. With a 4-deep set of running backs and a slew of receivers, as long as the blocking is good, this will be a much, much better unit than in 2011

Defense: Losing Tyrnann Mathieu will hurt, but it seems like they just keep trotting out amazing athletes to play on defense. And as long as Barkevious Mingo is there to take a bite out of people, the D-Line is going to be really good. 

Our Thoughts: The only potential stumbling block is the Alabama game...and that is going to be played in Death Valley. Probably in Prime Time. They will be, shall we say, motivated for that one. Seriously, unless Mettenberger gets hurt, nobody is beating them this season.

2) Alabama 11-1, 7-1 in conference

Overview: The only challenge will be the nighttime game in Baton Rouge the first weekend of November... the HQ figures that, by the way we've structured things, you can determine who we think will win...

Offense: QB A.J McCarron figures to get better if they can find a wide receiver. Eddy Lacy becomes the man and the line is deep. Really deep and experienced. Don't expect them to get in many shootouts, because while the offense is pretty good, they aren't great.

Defense: Nick Saban's calling card. But they lost 7 starters after the season and need a LOT of guys without experience to step up. There's a lot of youth. But LB Nico Johnson, S Robert Lester and CB Dee Milliner are pretty much it.

Our Thoughts: They'll be very, very good, but the inexperience on defense will hurt them. They should win everything except the LSU game, though they are going to be exposed. We wouldn't be surprised if someone upsets them early.


3) Arkansas 10-2, 6-2 in the conference

Overview: It will be really interesting to see how they handle the transition from Petrino to the slightly less stable John L. Smith. As long as Tyler Wilson and Knile Davis stay healthy though, they have a chance to beat anyone they play.

Offense: QB Wilson is arguably the SEC's best. Assuming he isn't sulking from Petrino's departure, he'll keep them in most games. They do need a WR to step up though, there are no Joe Adams or Greg Childs to rescue them. The running backs and line are solid and will supplement the passing game.

Defense: Well, they lost their 4 best players and their coordinator. But aside from that, well, they aren't the two teams ahead of them. Thankfully they are good enough to outscore most people. Perhaps the two biggest names are Tank Wright and Alonzo Highsmith Jr, both Linebackers.

Our thoughts: They'll be pretty good, and quite honestly should win every game but the LSU and Bama games. Much like Alabama there are a TON of questions on defense. As long as John L. doesn't cost them a game or two with bizarre coaching 101, they'll be fine.

Now, to Group Two... you can, pretty much, put a blanket over the three of these guys... they'll all be in the hunt for other early bowls and should cancel out each other's attempts at getting closer to the top of the division...

4) Auburn 7-5, 4-4 in the conference

Overview: The team has tried to find its identity at quarterback with any of four different guys taking snaps behind center last season. The defense has kept the Tigers in games and kept them out of games. Graduation took out another chunk of the squad that was very young last year...

Offense: Is it Kiehl Frazier, Moseley, or Trotter with some CJ Uzomah thrown in like last year, or will they settle on one guy...??? Whoever it is will have all-world H-Back Phillip Lutzkenkirchen to throw to along with Emory Blake. But losing two seniors on the line doesn't help...

Defense: Only two seniors leave, and most Auburn fans are happy Neiko Thorpe is one of them. The young get a year older, and that's important...

Our Thoughts: They aren't on the "Elite" level the teams ahead of them are.  The offense will have to find its identity and the defense will have to carry the team early on... if it can't, The Chiz will have a long year...

5) Miss State 7-5.4-4 in the conference

Overview: Dan Mullen is getting his stamp put on the Starkville program and his identity is defined by tough defense and an electric offense- we're seeing both now...

Offense: Tyler Russell and Jameon Lewis are the one-two to pay attention to for the Bulldogs and they should put up a lot of numbers... Mullen is confident that this is his deepest backfield since he started at the school...

Defense: Johnathan Banks will be getting a lot of attention in the secondary, and not just for being in the secondary. He'll get a lot of play everywhere Mullen will let him. But, when everyone throws away from him, how will the rest of the guys help out...???

Outlook: The early, soft schedule gets them to a good start (5-2 or 6-1), but it's all downhill from there...

6) Texas A&M 6-6, 2-6 in the conference.

Overview: Gentlemen, we give you...the deep end of the pool. Please commence swimming. We like this program and think Kevin Sumlin is a good coach, but he has some holes to fix.

Offense: A&M fans are going to miss Ryan Tannehill whether they realize it yet or no. Redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel is the starting quarterback... Really...??? Really...??? But he will have O-Lineman Luke Joeckel (a pre-season Outland watch-list nominee) protecting part of his backside.

Defense: Damontre Moore is one of the better players on that side of the ball, but they're moving him to defensive end from linebacker... and interesting transition, for sure...

Outlook: Year One will be an adventure... the HQ thinks the Aggies won't be swimming too well this year, but give them some time.

7) Ole Miss 4-8, 2-6 in the conference

Overview: What happens when you're in a situation that wasn't your doing and you get to try and fix it...??? Just ask Hugh Freeze... that's his new job in Oxford...

Offense: The HQ has seen Freeze ever since his Lambuth days, so we know what he does. He finds the tallest, most athletic guys he can find, outs them on the edge and gets a quarterback who can play out of the shotgun and throw his arm off getting it to the receivers.

A lot of yards, a lot of points, a lot of mistakes...

Defense: The problem with the above category is that you will need guys who can stay out on the field for a long time if football's version of pong has more negative than positive. That will happen here... "too tired" will be a phrase uttered by a lot of pundits in fourth quarters this year...

Outlook: Recruits will fall in love with new head coach Hugh Freeze's offense, but Colonel Reb will have a lot of catching up to do to compete in the conference.


Division MVP: Barkevious Mingo, LSU

Best Offensive Player: Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

Best Defensive Player: Nico Johnson, Alabama