Fun Friday is Back: Looking at the SEC Race and the Saints
Fun Friday is back—at least for this week—by widespread, universal, popular, a couple of dude's demand.
The SEC looks like a 2 horse race this year between Bama and LSU. The teams look pretty similar, but you have to give Bama the edge for 3 reasons: (1) LSU vs. Bama is in Tuscaloosa, (2) Trent Richardson, and (3) Nick Saban. If Bama wins the national title this year, you kind of have to wonder how much longer Nick Saban will coach. He hides it well if he is a coach forever kind of guy.
But LSU fans have a lot to be optimistic about. LSU has beaten 3 ranked teams away from home and not really been challenged in any game. Usually with a Les Miles team every game is a heart-attack game that goes down to the wire. The fact that LSU has won every game comfortably says a lot about the strength of this team.
What's up with Miss. State and Ole Miss? Will either win 6 games this year? I don't see a path for Ole Miss to win 6 after losing to Vandy and BYU. Houston Nutt doesn't have it anymore. Everyone knows it. The question is: when can Ole Miss afford a new coach?
Isn't it ironic that Ole Miss has a group of fans called “Forward Rebels” and a bunch of fans who just want to go back to the good ole days of Colonel Reb and Dixie? State is the big winner when many Ole Miss fans refuse to let go of the past.
State might not get to 6 wins either. State's offense looks terrible. Do they have an offensive line? The Dan Mullen window of opportunity to move up in the coaching ranks is closing. Two losing seasons in a row and he will not have a job at State either.
The Saints look good. But Green Bay looks great. It's going to be hard for the Saints to get out of the NFC this year, particularly if they have to play in Green Bay in January. At this point, I would not bet on a Saints return to the Super Bowl.
How about a conference realignment post. Who will the SEC take? Will the Big XII really invite Tulane? Will the Big East survive?
6 wins?
The question is whether Ole Miss will rack up 4 (La. Tech, Ky, emphasis on Ky) or 5 (at Miss. State). Who of the rest (Ala, Auburn, LSU, Ark) would even make six a question?
State's chances at 6 wins (which involve them winning Ole Miss, KY along with UT Martin and UAB) look a fair bit better.
So long as our defense keeps outscoring our offense, I can't predict the Dawgs even to win the damn Egg Bowl, much less beat any real football teams.
With respect to the NFL, we're only 4 games into the season. While I don't disagree with your GB/NO analysis, the very real possibility of an injury/ies can change things substantially. Case in point, Saints last year, Steelers this year, etc. GB plays outside against defenses from the Bears and Lions. Just saying, hoping, rooting . . . For the Saints.
Thanks for returning the fun on Friday. And please follow up on Fat Harry's idea.
This post reeked of corn dogs.
Philip,
Painting all fans who are members of Forward Rebels as wanting to go back to the days of Colonel Reb and Dixie is using a pretty broad brush. That being said, tradition is a valuable commodity and cannot be reinvented or spawned by trite slogans or irrelevant mascots. The administration of the University of Mississippi has grossly mismanaged the athletic program for longer than I care to remember. The University has been inbred for generations with good-ole-boys who lavish each other with exorbitant salaries, perks, and retirement packages (far beyond those offered by the state retirement system) with no regard to performance or success.
The Ole Miss athletic program is going nowhere. Perhaps a significant cadre of Forward Rebel members do want to turn the clock back. Perhaps they will fail at that, but somehow disturb the system enough that what shakes out will improve not only the athletic program but the University as a whole.
Remember the slogan, "if you continue to do things the same old way, you get the same old results".
By the way, I enjoy your blog.
How about Ole Miss re-classify sports into the I-AA Football Subdivision or whatever it's called and focus on becoming a premier academic institution? It seems Ole Miss is much like Schrodinger's Cat. . .