Peachton.com

Let’s face it. Auburn’s success in 2010 and the difference between 14-0 and 9-4 were squarely dependent on quarterback Cam Newton and D-lineman Nick Fairley. Without them, the Tigers lose to Clemson, LSU, Alabama and possibly Arkansas, Mississippi State and Kentucky. But those two are gone and have left big gaping holes in the team.  That said, it could be a loooong year for the War Eagle.

Utah State Win
Mississippi State -  this game is a  toss-up. MSU is much improved and dangerous but the game is at Auburn.
at Clemson – another toss-up. Clemson will be hard-pressed to forget last year’s heartbreaking loss, when they missed an easy OT touchdown and an easier field goal. Played at Clemson.
Florida Atlantic Win
at South Carolina is going to have a better team than last year. 19 of the 21 projected starters are seniors and juniors and some of them will probably be leaving for the NFL (Alshon Jeffery, Stephon Gilmore). It is now or never. Plus, Steve Spurrier is getting old. Prediction: LOSS
at Arkansas – on the road against a team that also might be better even without Ryan Mallett. Prediction: LOSS
Florida – what a  tough SEC stretch! Finally, the Tigers get a home game. Too bad the also get another  LOSS
at LSU – and Baton Rouge makes four straight:  LOSS
Ole Miss – finally a  Win
Open Date
at Georgia – in Athens = LOSS
Samford Win
Alabama =  LOSS

*Bonus Prediction: reports of the deaths of the Toomer’s Corner trees were greatly exaggerated.

SEC WEST:

ALABAMA
Start of spring practice: March 21
Spring game: April 16

ARKANSAS
Start of spring practice: March 15
Spring game: April 16

AUBURN
Start of spring practice: March 23
Spring game: April 16

LSU
Start of spring practice: March 11
Spring game: April 9

MISSISSIPPI STATE
Start of spring practice: March 4
Spring game: April 9

OLE MISS
Start of spring practice: March 28
Spring game: April 16

SEC EAST:

FLORIDA
Start of spring practice: March 16
Spring game: April 9

GEORGIA
Start of spring practice: March 10
Spring game: April 16

KENTUCKY
Start of spring practice: March 30
Spring game: April 23

SOUTH CAROLINA
Start of spring practice: March 15
Spring game: April 9

TENNESSEE
Start of spring practice: March 22
Spring game: April 16

VANDERBILT
Start of spring practice: March 18
Spring game: April 17

It is probably best for underclassmen to declare for the NFL draft ONLy if theythink they can go in the first round. Many of these guys will, but some of them are delusional:

SEC (14)

Alabama: Marcell Dareus, DE; Julio Jones, WR; Mark Ingram, RB – these three could go in the top 15.
Arkansas: Ryan Mallett, QB – mid-first round to mid-second round
Auburn: Nick Fairley DT; Cameron Newton, QB; Darvin Adams WR – UnFairley should go top 10; SCam in late 1st round; Adams 3rd round
Florida: Will Hill, S – meh, shoulda stayed
Georgia: Justin Houston, DE; A.J. Green, WR – AJ is a top 10 pick. Houston probably 2nd round or later
Kentucky: Randall Cobb, WR/KR/QB – interesting prospect but not a first rounder; maybe 3rd
LSU: Patrick Peterson, CB; Stevan Ridley, RB – Peterson is top 5; Ridley, are you kidding me?
Ole Miss: Jerrell Powe, DT – 2nd to 3rd round
South Carolina: Tori Gurley, WR – insane

ACC (9)

Clemson: Da’Quan Bowers, DE; Jamie Harper, RB – Da’Quan is a top 10
Georgia Tech: Nick Claytor, OT
Maryland: Torrey Smith, WR/KR; Kenny Tate, S
Miami: Brandon Harris, CB
Virginia: Zane Parr, DE
Virginia Tech: Darren Evans, RB; Ryan Williams, RB

BIG TEN (7) – I am truly surprised none of the Ohio State Tattoo-gate 5 are going pro.

ILLINOIS: Mikel Leshoure, RB; Corey Liuget, DT; Martez Wilson, LB
INDIANA: Tandon Doss, WR
IOWA: Tyler Sash, S
WISCONSIN: John Clay, RB; J.J. Watt, DE

BIG 12 (3)

MISSOURI: Blane Gabbert, QB; Aldon Smith, DE – not good for Mizzou. Blane will be 2nd or 3rd rounder
TEXAS: Aaron Williams, CB

BIG EAST (5)

CONNECTICUT: Jordan Todman, RB
PITTSBURGH: Jon Baldwin, WR; Henry Hynoski, FB; Dion Lewis, RB
WEST VIRGINIA: Robert Sands, S

PAC-10 (7)

ARIZONA STATE: Lawrence Guy, DT
CALIFORNIA: Shane Vereen, RB
OREGON STATE: Jacquizz Rogers, RB
UCLA: Akeem Ayers, LB; Rahim Moore
USC: Jurrell Casey, DT; Tryon Smith, OT

CONFERENCE USA (1)

SOUTHERN MISS: DeAndre Brown, WR.

MID-AMERICAN(1)

TEMPLE: Muhammad Wilkerson, DT

MOUNTAIN WEST (2)

UTAH: Brandon Burton, CB;  Sealver Siliga, DT

INDEPENDENT (1)

NOTRE DAME: Kyle Rudolph, TE

Damian Swann – UGA
Harvey Langi – Utah
Tobias Singleton – Ole Miss
Colt Lyerla – Oregon
Donovan Smith – Penn State
Lateek Townsend – Clemson
Gerrod Holliman – Louisville
James Sample – Washington
Wayne Lyons – Stanford
Viliam Moala – Cal
Kris Frost – Auburn
Odell Beckham – LSU
Dee Hart – Alabama
Brent Calloway – Auburn

Coming off an 8-5 2009 season, Georgia football coach Mark Richt made the insinuation that the Class of 2011 recruits in the state of Geoergia might all come to UGA and be a “Dream Team”. Despite, Georgia going 6-7 in 2010, many of Georgia’s elite bought into the slogan.

Below are recruits from Georgia with a Rivals.com rating of 4-stars or higher (updated 2/7/11):

The Bulldogs ends up with eleven of the Top 22 players in the state of Georgia. Only time will tell if the “Dream” pans out.

After last week’s snoozefest of games, we finally got some exciting games.

In the SEC, Auburn wins at Alabama 28-27 to stay undefeated. Arkansas upsets LSU 31-23 to possibly sneak their way into the Sugar Bowl. UGA and Tennessee both win to become bowl eligible.

Going Bowling:

SEC will again send ten teams to bowl games. The Pac 10 currently has THREE teams bowl eligible. Oregon State would need a miracle win over #2 Oregon to get to 6 wins. Washington has to win at Washington State.

SEC – 10

ACC – 9

Big Ten – 8

Big XII – 8

Pac 10 – 3

To date, there are 35 bowls and 70 bowl eligible teams including such 6-win stalwarts as UTEP, Western Michigan, Florida International and Troy.

Army (Armed Forces), Navy (Poinsettia) and Air Force (tba) will all go bowling. Congratulations to our awesome military academies!

Teams that needed a home win to become bowl eligible and lost:

Texas A&M defeated Texas 24-17 in Austin. Sad.

All Louisiana-Monroe had to do was beat lowly La.-Lafayette (3-9). Laffers win 23-22.

Cal and shifty head coach Jeff Tedford lose in Berkeley to Washington (5-6) 16-13.

Now to the fun part: the HAHA awards.

Top HAHA this week goes to Boise who lost to Nevada 34-31. God bless the Wolfpack for exposing these imposters. You did not belong. Now go away.

Georgia Tech (6-6) fans got pretty cocky after beating UGA in 2008 and then winning the ACC in 2009. It’s been all downhill from there. The Jackets lost their second straight to a weak Georgia (6-6) team who was looking to become bowl eligible 42-34.

Miami loses to South Florida? At home? Pathetic.

Rich Rodriguez might be on his way out in Ann Arbor finishing 7-5 and losing yet again to Ohio State 37-7. This was the Buckeyes 7^th straight win over Michigan.

Kansas finished 3-9 under coach Turner Gill. Professional loudmouth Charles Barkley called Auburn racist for not hiring Gill. I think things turned out okay for the Tigers.

Mixed feelings HAHA of the Week:

Despite three Notre Dame interceptions and a fumble, Lame Kiffin and his uninspired USC Trojans lost to the Irish in L.A. 20-16. Both teams finish 7-5.

Game of the WEAK:
Buffalo (2-10) feeling charitable, allowed Akron to get their first and only win of the season 22-14.

After their debacle in Norman, Oklahoma, Florida State reeled off five straight wins against some lesser opponents and got themselves back in the rankings (#16). Then they traveled to North Carolina State and lost 28-24. Look for the Wolfpack to find their way into the Top 25. Look for the ‘Noles to be heading the other direction.

Miami lost Jacory Harris to injury and then decided to stop playing. Virginia almost blew a 24 point 4^th quarter lead settling for a 24-19 win. Losing your QB is no excuse. If the ‘Canes expect to be taken seriously they cannot lose to teams like UVa.

Missouri, Michigan State: welcome back to reality. You heard it here first. As predicted, Nebraska throttles Mizzou 31-17 and Iowa destroys Sparty 37-6. B’bye. Thanks for playing.

Georgia got a little big for their britches after three straight wins against some lame-o teams. Saturday they returned to Big Boy football and lost a close one to Florida 34-31 in OT.

It’s always good to see Lame Kiffin lose: Oregon 53 Southern Cal 32.

HAHA of the Week: Notre Dame loses at HOME to Tulsa – HAHAHA! The Dames are now 4-5 and will have to win two of their last three games to be bowl eligible. Those opponents are #8 Utah, Army (played at Yankee Stadium), and Southern Cal. ND will be lucky to win one.

I heard some announcer mention that when Missouri beat Oklahoma that they were acting like they had just won the National Championship. And that is exactly why they will lose on Saturday to Nebraska. Much like another game played in another city named Columbia a few weeks ago (South Carolina-Alabama), the underdog home team topped the #1 team and the city went crazy. Moron Mizzou fans stormed the field in celebration. You will NEVER see fans do this at schools of top tier programs because they expect to win these games. Therefore, I say, so sorry Tigers fans, you blew your wad and it is all downhill from here. Nebraska wins big.

On that note, Michigan State has overachieved and congratulations to them. Iowa puts an end to this silliness in Iowa City.

ESPN has never met a hyperbole they did not like. I understand they are in the business of getting eyeballs to their network but they are trying so hard to blow up the Southern Cal vs. Oregon game into something it isn’t. Matt Barkley is NOT Carson Palmer. He is closer to John David Booty. Oregon romps. Again.

UGA and their unrealistic fans just cannot except that they are not an elite team. Georgia has two National Championships, 1942 and 1980. They are still living off the fumes of the latter even though none of the current players were alive at the time and Mark Richt was backing up Jim Kelly at Miami (Fla). Long story short, UGA fans are insane. After losing four in a row, the Dawgs have won three in a row against the SEC bottom feeders and now they think they are hot sh*t. Florida is working on a surprising three game losing streak of their own. Coming off a bye week, I have a feeling the Gators will arrive in Jacksonville ready.

** It is a darned shame it took this long but I am happy welcome the team of the week #18 Southern Cal to the 2010 Hahas. Many pleasant returns. Washington 32 USC 31. **

Gators fans thought they had righted the ship with the second coming of Jesus… oops, I mean Tebow in Trey Burton. Wrong. After scoring 6 TD vs. Kentucky, Burton was 0-1 passing with an end zone INT, 4 rushes for 5 yards, 0 catches, 0 TDs. #1 Alabama 31 #7 Florida 6.

Oblivious UGA fans who thought the absence of AJ Green was the reason for all their losses. Colorado wins 29-27 and the stupid fans storm the field. For beating a 1-4 team???

What did I say about #9 Stanford? Every year they make a little noise that the media wants to make into a big noise and they fall flat on their faces (52-31 loss to Oregon). No disrespect to the Ducks – who I now see as the co-number one team with Alabama – but I see a bumpy road ahead for the Cardinal.

#11 Wisconsin – same as above. They will always be a second tier. Michigan State wins 34-24.

#21 Texas – has gone from BCS runner-up to dropped from rankings in a few short months. Oklahoma 28-20.  †

It took an extra week, but now there are no more undefeated teams in the ACC. Va Tech over #23 NC State 41-30.

Haha on Charles Barkley and his best friend Turner Gill who wasn’t hired at Auburn – according to Chuck – because he is black. Kansas loses to li’l ol’ Baylor 55-7. #10 Auburn is 5-0.

Rutgers loses at home to Tulane 17-14. How’s that career move working out for you, Greg Schiano? Still think he is heir apparent in State College, PA?

Tommy Tuberville is 2-2 at Texas Tech losing to Iowa State(?!) 52-38.

†  The above rankings represent pre-game positions.