Week 13 SEC Power Poll Ballot: Giving the 'Dawgs Their Due
by T Kyle King on Nov 27, 2011 7:56 PM EST
in SEC Football
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PrintOn a delightful Thanksgiving weekend hallmarked by shows of dominance by top teams and careless errors made by me in bunches, the Southeastern Conference concluded its regular season schedule, bringing us nearer to closing out the data set from which the final SEC Power Poll will be derived. Accordingly, I now offer you my evaluation of where the twelve teams in the league now stand, relative to one another:
1. LSU Tigers (12-0 overall, 8-0 SEC): I sure wouldn’t want to be the next team in the Bayou Bengals’ path. Wait, what? Aw, crud!
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1): Beating Auburn 42-14 is very impressive. Not as impressive as beating Auburn 45-7, but still.
3. Georgia Bulldogs (10-2, 7-1): Say what you will, the third-longest active winning streak in the country is still the third-longest active winning streak in the country.
4. South Carolina Gamecocks (10-2, 6-2): Crushing the Clemson Tigers is very impressive. Not as impressive as crushing a team that crushed the Clemson Tigers, but still.
5. Arkansas Razorbacks (10-2, 6-2): Don’t blame me for ranking the Hogs fifth; I’m not the one who lost the two biggest games of the season by a combined 79-31 margin.
6. Auburn Tigers (7-5, 4-4): The Plainsmen currently rank tenth in the SEC in total offense. Evidently, Gus Malzahn’s brilliance consisted largely of telling Cameron Newton, “Attaway to play, Cam!”
7. Vanderbilt Commodores (6-6, 2-6): This isn’t the “same old Vandy”; these Commies will be going to a bowl game. Also, I’ll be rooting for the ‘Dores to get annihilated when they get there.
8. Mississippi St. Bulldogs (6-6, 2-6): #SameOldState.
9. Florida Gators (6-6, 3-5): Georgia’s secret agent in Gainesville, Will Muschamp, has done his job magnificently. Uh, I mean, golly, how did the Gators ever go 6-6 with all that talent and such a superb offensive coordinator?
10. Kentucky Wildcats (5-7, 2-6): The bad news is that the bowl streak is over, but the good news is that the ‘Cats made the top ten after beating Tennessee for the first time since the Reagan administration! Oh, also, it’s basketball season, so there’s that.
11. Tennessee Volunteers (5-7, 1-7): Sorry, Barbara, but, yeah, he kind of is on the hot seat.
12. Mississippi Rebels (2-10, 0-8): Faulkner scholars now believe Benjy Compson’s outburst at the end of The Sound and the Fury was in response to a premonition of just how truly awful this Ole Miss team would be.
As always, I am open to your constructive criticisms, which I openly solicit in the comments below.
Go ‘Dawgs!
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I am still mad about not killing Ole Miss. lol.
Nicely done – I have no disagreements, although I am betting Arky does.
Editor, "Dawgsports"
"The ball ain't heavy." Herschel Walker
The way I see it.
Arkansas is irrelevant now; we’re not. Case closed.
"Don't go ninja'n nobody that don't need ninja'n!" ~ Kung Fu Hillbilly.
by Jman781 on Nov 27, 2011 8:30 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
I dont remember ever saying I gave a durn. )
Editor, "Dawgsports"
"The ball ain't heavy." Herschel Walker
by tankertoad on Nov 27, 2011 8:33 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Media's witless burbling about a 42-14 win over AU...
,,,being a “Statement Game” for Bama after ignoring our more impressive win over the same team a couple weeks ago is a combination of the malicious and the moronic – but still…..
by Vindexdawg on Nov 27, 2011 8:14 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
rec for absolute truth. Alabama made a statement. UGA didnt play anyone. ESPN narrative at his finest.
Editor, "Dawgsports"
"The ball ain't heavy." Herschel Walker
Ha!
Broadcasting live from a secure location underneath the Hell Gate Bridge
by The Quincy Carter of Accountants on Nov 27, 2011 9:19 PM EST up reply actions
in all fairness
beating your in-state rival 42-14 on their field is every bit as impressive as a 45-7 win at home. That is, if you feel your home field is worth anything at all.
Enough crying about the media though. Beat LSU next Saturday and UGA will get all the love in the world. I promise.
You do have to play them fairly close though. If you get whipped everyone will just say UGA was the beneficiary of a feather soft schedule and will point out that you only played 3 good teams. No pressure though!
Good luck on Saturday.
Still a Gator, even if we're FSU's bitches.
I've got to give it up to you for the sig and profile pic.
Embracing the pain is always the way to go.
by dawgfan will on Nov 28, 2011 9:50 AM EST up reply actions
In all fairness...
home field advantage is normally considered worth about 3 points, 4 at most. And for all the exaggerated nonsense propagated about the iron bowl, our rivalry with AU is certainly comparable in importance, both older and comprising more games. But, much more pertinently, are you seriously suggesting that if we win against all odds on Saturday, we will be bounced ahead of LSU as SEC Champs to play for the NC title as they were over us in 2007? That’s not going to happen and you know it. I don’t think that a perennial media love child like Florida is in any position to hand out lectures on the topic of “crying about the media.”
It's not meant to be a lecture
It just gets old hearing alot of whining about how the media never gives you any respect. Now you have a chance to earn some respect. Winning championship games earns you that. The media isn’t going to pump you up because you beat Auburn by a slightly larrger margin than Alabama did.
And I don’t think anyone affiliated with Auburn would put the UGA rivalry even in the same stratosphere with the Iron Bowl rivalry.
As far as my profile pic and signature, I pay my bets, no matter how bad they are!
Still a Gator, even if we're FSU's bitches.
Of course it is....
which is no doubt precisely why you put the disclaimer in your opening line. Your comments are no more relevant than they were the first time around but then it seems obvious that they were never so intended. We beat Auburn by 38, with them coming off a bye week, rested and reset at QB (supposedly) and all we could hear about it was “Georgia still hasn’t played anyone worth mentioning.” Alabama beats them by 10 points less and all of a sudden they’ve made a Statement! Spare me the moronic nonsense about the iron bowl. Everyone knows that the intrastate rival is #1 on anyone’s list but to say that no other game is “in the same stratosphere” is simply ridiculous. I suppose that by that reasoning the Cocktail Party would not mean anything to us Dawgs in comparison to the series with Tech, or for another example, Southern Cal really doesn’t care that much either way about Notre Dame when they have UCLA to plan ahead for. I’ve known plenty of people from Auburn who’ve said that their series against us is extremely important although their intrastate rivals come first. But as you seem so addicted to irrelevancies, what do you think about the possibility of your Gators playing the Meyer-led bucknuts in this year’s Gator Bowl?
It's strange
I just saw an excellent special on the Iron Bowl on ESPN. It portrayed how insane the fans are about the rivalry. One maniac actually attempted to murder some trees he hated the other school so much.
I have also seen numerous pieces on the Florida/Georgia game. One UGA student even wrote a book about the UGA/UF rivalry before he settled into winning $25 million verdicts. The game is featured every year on ESPN and even has a national moniker of The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Like the Iron Bowl, it draws national interest.
Yet, amazingly, I haven’t seen any shows featuring the Auburn-Georgia rivalry.
If you want to pat yourself on the back and think you deserve national recognition for defeating Auburn, go right ahead. Last I checked they were 7-5.
Beat a top team in a national game and you’ll get plenty of respect. I promise. It’s right there in front of you.
As for who and where Florida plays this bowl season, I couldn’t care less. Regardless of whether we can beat another 6-6 team or a 7-5 team in Jacksonville, Shreveport or Nashville, won’t do anything to eclipse the our season since 1987. And I promise you personally that I won’t complain if we win said game yet receive no fanfare for doing so.
Still a Gator, even if we're FSU's bitches.
Dude.
Manager, Dawg Sports, SB Nation's Georgia Bulldogs weblog.
Go 'Dawgs!
by T Kyle King on Nov 28, 2011 10:58 PM EST up reply actions
And then Corso & Herbstreit are gonna pick Tech over UGA, then when UGA beats GT by 14 points they say we didn’t play anybody. Well apparently, Mr. Corso and Mr. Herbstreit, you two finely-tuned expertin’ football-pickin’ machines, you two thought GT was good enough to beat UGA. Only Bo knows, because Bo is from the S-E-C and you aren’t, Kirk.
My dad taught me how to make meat for sloppy joes and my mom let me turn over hot dogs on the grill.
by ChopMaster on Jun 25, 2011 7:25 PM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Jun 28, 2011 9:50 PM EDT reply actions
"Here in the National League where we play REAL baseball, DH means double-header." -Me.
Dawg Sports -Georgia Bulldogs. When life gives you Gators, make Gatorade.
RIP Larry Munson. I hope there's a lot of hobnail boots for you to wear.
by ChopMaster on Nov 27, 2011 8:36 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Me too
As much as those two are experts they sure do get it wrong a lot. I love when they pick against us, we usually win.
Love reading this blog
but the James Franklin and Vanderbilt hate is really starting to wear thin. It’s about time y’all got over it
Thanks for reading, Jackson, . . .
. . . but I respectfully disagree. It isn’t even remotely close to time for us to get over James Franklin’s cheap-shot tactics and subsequent whining when someone understandably objected to his ridiculous and reprehensible behavior. Given that he has continued to behave in a way that shows that Vanderbilt’s game against Georgia was no aberration, why should anyone get over it?
I’ll get over it when Coach Franklin no longer has a Nashville mailing address. Until then, expect my justified contempt for this contemptible coach to continue. If it offends you, I regret it, but take it up with Coach Franklin. When he acts better, I’ll treat him better.
Manager, Dawg Sports, SB Nation's Georgia Bulldogs weblog.
Go 'Dawgs!
If you're referring to the alleged chop blocks thrown
during the game, I believe MaconDawg wrote a great piece on here right after the game to debunk the debate about those. The Logan Stewart block on Kwame Geathers was unacceptable, no argument there, but we’ve seen players as respected as Ben Jones get suspended for exactly the same sort of thing, and I don’t think that reflects any more poorly on Mark Richt than Stewart’s block should on James Franklin.
As for the post-game confrontation, I don’t really have any issue with how Franklin or Grantham handled the matter. Both coaches stuck up for their players, which is exactly what I’d want to see if I played for either team.
I’m not offended by anything written here, and I hope my comments don’t reflect that attitude, I just feel like the Vanderbilt-Georgia game was a chippy game that shouldn’t be taken as the ultimate judge of Franklin, or this Vanderbilt team’s character
by Jackson Martin on Nov 27, 2011 10:49 PM EST up reply actions
Yet, Franklin has gone nuts in several other games.
And, seriously, I track UGA pretty darn close, I have no memory of Ben Jones being suspended. Please help me on that one.
Editor, "Dawgsports"
"The ball ain't heavy." Herschel Walker
Do you have any idea how weak this is?
UGA on it’s own did this. You think Franklin would do the same?
Thank you so much for validating that Coach Richt is an honorable man and Franklin is.
Editor, "Dawgsports"
"The ball ain't heavy." Herschel Walker
The implication was that Franklin is teaching his players to hit dirty
which is absolutely absurd, and based one one game and in particular one play. My point about Ben Jones stands in that dirty plays happen, even to the best of programs and players, and using that small sample to judge the work of a coach is simply unfair.
And please, when was another game when Franklin “went nuts” besides the aforementioned incident with Grantham?
by Jackson Martin on Nov 27, 2011 11:23 PM EST up reply actions
Not sure which UT game you watched
Did he run over to try and find the officials for an explanation? Yes. I would’ve done the exact same thing after that ending to the game. Nowhere did he “go nuts” in any way that I don’t consider absolutely reasonable. Any other examples? “For starts” implies you’ve got another one too?
by Jackson Martin on Nov 27, 2011 11:49 PM EST up reply actions
Ok, you consider Franklin calm and rational. I dont. Thats the end.
watch the replays. Good luck.
Editor, "Dawgsports"
"The ball ain't heavy." Herschel Walker
If I remember correctly...
Didn’t Vandy lose that game because the officials reviewed a play that was, by rule, not reviewable? I would expect any coach to go nuts when his team gets so blatantly screwed over by the refs. I’m not saying that you’re wrong about Franklin, I’m just saying that there’s got to be a better example than that.
But you gotta admit...
… James Franklin has a heck of a bitchface when he gets mad.
Editor, Dawg Sports.
Go Dawgs!
by vineyarddawg on Nov 28, 2011 8:37 AM EST up reply actions
They also made the correct call.
Either way, running around screaming and yelling isn’t going to help anything. He sets a bad tone and bad example. He has pointed at players and called them out specifically. He is not a “roll model” on the field.
Editor, "Dawgsports"
"The ball ain't heavy." Herschel Walker
Fair point about that call.
Kinda funny when you think about it. They corrected an incorrect ruling on the field by reviewing a play that wasn’t reviewable.
by MDDawg on Nov 28, 2011 11:53 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I think you just sounded like Dr Suess. )
Editor, "Dawgsports"
"The ball ain't heavy." Herschel Walker
"Would you, could you, from the booth?
Right wrongs with wrongs ’gainst Vandy, forsooth?"
by Cherokee's Grip on Nov 28, 2011 2:55 PM EST up reply actions
I KNEW you would chime in! I almost added in: Ms Grip? Thanks!
Editor, "Dawgsports"
"The ball ain't heavy." Herschel Walker
Will Muschamp doesn’t believe the part about running around screaming and yelling not helping….
Still a Gator, even if we're FSU's bitches.
No, he keeps trying. And oddly, UF is, what, the number one penalized team in the nation?
Leadership by example.
You’re good people skigator.
Editor, "Dawgsports"
"The ball ain't heavy." Herschel Walker
It's based on more than one play in one game
your team has shown that pattern in several games this year. And on that one play, when you see Stewart looking for validation from the sideline, that makes is seem pretty strong that a coach told/taught him to do that.
http://sportsandgrits.com/
by Mr. Sanchez on Nov 28, 2011 6:24 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I also respectfully disagree.
I didnt hate Vandy. I still don’t. But Franklin is an embarrassment to an otherwise outstanding school. Furthermore, this narrative that “the culture is changing” is crap.
If Vandy fans are going to support his antics, you look a lot more like GaTech than I would wish on you.
Editor, "Dawgsports"
"The ball ain't heavy." Herschel Walker
I would think Vandy fans are supporting him pretty hard
Vandy doesn’t qualify for bowls all that often. Franklin did it in year one. And without even looking, I can think of at least 3 more SEC games that they could very easily have won.
Still a Gator, even if we're FSU's bitches.
Not that it's hugely important at this point, but
shouldn’t Arkansas still get the nod over Carolina? They both have identical conference records, and Arkansas beat SC head-to-head and it wasn’t close. Punishing Arkansas for getting creamed in their very last game against a team SC didn’t have to play seems unfair to me.
While I agree...
It doesn’t appear that Kyle puts much credence in the head-to-head record as I pointed out below how Florida beat Vandy and has a better record but still is ranked lower.
Correct.
On my BlogPoll ballot, which is based on resume ranking, head-to-head outcomes matter a great deal. In a power poll, it’s about who’s playing the best football. Right now, South Carolina looks like a much better football team than Arkansas.
Manager, Dawg Sports, SB Nation's Georgia Bulldogs weblog.
Go 'Dawgs!
That's a fair question, Xon.
My answer is that this is a power poll. Just as I do not believe South Carolina would beat Georgia head-to-head next Saturday, neither do I believe Arkansas would beat South Carolina head-to-head next Saturday. Reasonable minds, as always, may differ.
Manager, Dawg Sports, SB Nation's Georgia Bulldogs weblog.
Go 'Dawgs!
We certainly can disagree
No harm, no foul obviously. I’m just rather stunned you think SC would beat Arkansas next Saturday, given they just played a few weeks ago and it was not close. I’m not sure what changed, as there were no major injuries effecting Arkansas since then.
I'm all for shafting the Gators...
but the fact that they have a better SEC record and beat Vandy head-to-head would dictate that they should at least be ranked above them (and by default above Miss St). They certainly earned the right to sit atop the loser pile at the very least.
On a resume-based ballot, I would agree with you completely.
In a power poll, though, it’s about who’s playing better football. Right now, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State look like better football teams than the woeful Gators. On my BlogPoll ballot, I break ties with head-to-head results; on my SEC Power Poll ballot, I break ties with recent results and current caliber of play.
Manager, Dawg Sports, SB Nation's Georgia Bulldogs weblog.
Go 'Dawgs!
Arkansas beat South Carolina convincingly enough for me to put Arky at 4.
Carolina didn’t beat Clemson as badly as NC State did. I’m not ready to give SC a lot of credit for this past weekend. And the loss to Auburn - inexplicable.
I like the poll...
It’s hard to argue, after last weekend, that UGA is anything but #3.
Can’t wait for Saturday.
GATA!
My thoughts as welll
or is it Kyle’s top 25 Jman needs to complain about?
http://sportsandgrits.com/
Why is South Carolina ahead of UGA in the BCS?
I’m not sure how it’s calculated, and I’m genuinely curious.
Probably just the higher ranking in the USA Today poll.
that or head-to-head win. Not sure either.
- FOW
by skandrewj62j on Nov 28, 2011 9:50 AM EST up reply actions
They're ahead in the coaches' poll and computers
And not behind by much in the Harris. Really, though, 11-14 in the BCS is pretty much a tie this week.
What is even more surprising is how
Michigan St is ranked ahead of UGA for that matter. We beat a then #25 Ga Tech team and they beat……Northwestern.
The whole B1G is a mess.
Honestly, I don’t know what to make of them. How good is Wisconsin or Mich. State? Now, folks are saying Michigan will be an at-large BCS squad. How good are they? I honestly don’t know.
GATA!
Ohio State won't be playing an SEC team this year
And LSU and ’Bama will likely be playing each other (even if you win Saturday). Combine that with a decent chance of only one B1G team in the BCS (Michigan is probably in if they become eligible, but becoming eligible is borderline; they need the favorites to win big in Bedlam and the SEC title game, and possibly some help elsewhere) at and the B1G may well do rather well in SEC-B1G bowl games this year.
I am happy to give them a go in the sugar. )
Editor, "Dawgsports"
"The ball ain't heavy." Herschel Walker
by tankertoad on Nov 28, 2011 8:05 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
With you on this one
How do we beat a ranked team by the same exact score 31-17 as Sparty beats unranked 6-6 Northwestern and drop in the BCS poll? Utterly ridiculous.
PjsGroundPound
"Don’t cuss. Don’t argue with the officials. And don’t lose the game."
by PJsGroundPound on Nov 28, 2011 4:58 PM EST up reply actions
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