10 Precitions for the 2012 College Football Season

The SEC Preview will take a little break with Mississippi St, Kentucky, and Tennessee for the weekend. Earlier this week, I was listening to my friends at The Jox Roundtable(On WJOX-Birmingham, SportsRadio 730 The UMP/103.9FM-Huntsville, and The Deuce in Tuscaloosa) and they were asking for their 3 guarantees in the 2012 College Football Season. After 2 years of not blogging or giving a preview, I decided to knock the dust off the old crystal ball and see if it worked.

Last Year I said that Auburn would be better than most of people thought who were saying a young team would go 5-7. It was looking good after their Utah State scare, but the Tigers were able to win 7 games in the regular season, like I said they could.

This year, I won't just leave it to SEC predictions, I'll go beyond that. After pontificating and plugging in all the trends and formulas, here's 10 things I think will happen in 2012.

1) Texas A&M and Missouri will be better than most of the SEC fans think: It may not show up on the W-L record, which is what most SEC fans use to gauge expectations. However, these two teams are not necessarily the new Ole Miss or Kentucky.

Missouri has the benefit of geographical derp in the SEC being placed in the East. One concern is the injuries in this offseason could lead to a slow start, and that's what you don't want in the SEC. Missouri has an opportunity to make a statement early, with a home win over Georgia. The Bulldogs are known for starting slow for 3 consecutive seasons. With the SEC East still inferior to it's counterpart to the west and many crucial games being at home, I can see Missouri with 8-4, 4-4 and capitalizing on recruiting with their new conference status.

Texas A&M, on paper, seems to have a very tall task coming into the SEC West. At first, I bought into this. However, that would have been the case if Mike Sherman was still the head coach. Kevin Sumlin brings a spread offense to college station. The Aggies have been killing the recruiting trail and don't look to be holding back. Sumlin is 1-1 vs. the SEC (Miss St) with a 31-24 victory in 2009 and a 47-24 loss in 2010. Granted this school comes from the Big XII where it's reputations of defense is non-existent, the Aggies gave up an average of 35 points per game against Big XII opponents. What is different for A&M this go around is that the offenses in the SEC are very bland, with the exception of the cream of the crop in the SEC. If the spread offense can come together, Texas A&M can also go 8-4 this season with a 4-4 SEC record.

2) Florida will be lucky to win 7 or 8 games: Despite the recruiting classes Will Muschamp is bringing in. The Florida Gator offense has been unbearable to watch since Tim Tebow left The Swamp. John Brantley did not fit the spread offense and was hampered by the ignorance of Steve Addazio. When he got comfortable, he then got his bell rung by a ruthless Alabama defense. With the QB position still up in the air going into the season, I have no high hopes for Florida. The offense should improve, but that's coming from being at the rock bottom. However, with David Driskel or Jacoby Brissett not running away with the position, I have a hard time seeing the Gators as contenders. I'd see a 7-5 record and wouldn't be surprised if it was 5-7.

3) West Virginia will win The Big XII: Wait, this is coming from the guy who said The Big XII might be the second best conference in the country last year. So why would I think a team coming from The Big East would go in and contend in this conference? Easy, with the exception of Texas (Oklahoma in some cases), the reputation of Big XII defense has that it's been non existent. West Virginia does have a really good offense and a Senior QB and experience O-Line returning. Also, weather gets very cold in Morgantown around October and November (believe me, I've been there). With home games against Kansas State, TCU, and Oklahoma in October and November. Most Southeast and Midwest teams hate the cold weather (Example: Auburn's trip to Morgantown in 2008) Despite losing to Texas, I could still see Texas slipping a few games and Oklahoma dropping the ball like they have been in the last half-decade, including last year.

4) I'm buying the Florida State hype this year: The O-Line and QB E.J. Manuel are much more experienced. On the defensive side, they could have the best D-Line in the country. Although, I could see them slipping up in 1 of the 3 games vs. Clemson, Miami, or Virginia Tech, I also see Florida State playing in a BCS game this season. The past few summers we've seem people write how Florida State is back. This year, I believe it.

5) A Pac-12 team will not be in the BCS Title game: You don't really have to guess which teams I'm talking about. Oregon has the benefit of not playing a non-conference team like LSU (opting for Arkansas State) and USC has the benefit of playing non-conference teams they can beat but will likely be in bowls. Matt Barkley returns at QB for the Trojans while Oregon is starting with a Freshman QB. In my opinion, anyone would probably be a better decision maker than Darren Thomas. Both teams will most likely be 8-0 going into their matchup on November 13th in Pascadena with a likely rematch in the Pac-12 Championship. You might have an idea where I'm going. I have a hard time thinking that Chip Kelley or Lane Kiffin could beat a good quality opponent twice in a row in a 30 day or so span. Although we may not witness the chaos we did last year in the BCS, the Pac-12 Title game will probably be the most watched game by fans of a 1-loss SEC, Big XII, or even Florida State fans.

6) Wisconsin will be the only Big Ten team to finish in the Top 10: Most of the hype in the Big Ten has been surrounded by Michigan, Michigan State, and Urban Meyer's first season at Ohio State. A team that seems to get lost in the mayhem is the Wisconsin Badgers. Despite losing Russell Wilson who is now with the Seattle Seahawks, Bret Bilema picked up Danny O'Brien from Maryland and Montee' Ball returns at RB. I won't say the Badgers will be in the BCS title game because they seem to always play themselves out of it. However, I could see them in the Top 5 and playing a contentious game with USC or Oregon, and with a Top 10 finish. Michigan is one year away, Brady Hoke has a recruiting class that is out of this world for 2013. They don't have the size to face Alabama and could slip up at Notre Dame, Nebraska, or at Ohio State. Depending on how beat up the Wolverines are after the Alabama game could set the tone for their season. Michigan State has Wisconsin and Michigan back to back on the road. I don't see them winning either one.

7) Notre Dame wins a game they're not suppose to and goes 9-3: Decades ago when you heard the words Notre Dame, you cringed at the success of a prestigious football program. Today, you laugh at them like you do a Lucky Charm's commercial. Despite the regimes of Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham, Charlie Weis, Brian Kelley has the uphill climb of navigating Notre Dame to the most wins since with a insane schedule, just look at it. I could see most of these games by Notre Dame winnable with home games against Navy, Purdue, Michigan, Miami, Stanford, BYU, Pitt, and Wake Forest. I could see them beating Oklahoma in Norman, but getting crushed by USC in LA. Although 8-4 or 7-5 is the safe pick to go with, I could see Notre Dame taking 9 games, which puts them just out of the BCS bid.

8) Joker Phillips and Derek Dooley will be fired at the end of the season: And I hate it, because it was a lost cause from the beginning. I'm not saying Joker Phillips was a bad coach, he inheritted a team that was gutted from the talent Rich Brooks brought in. If you heard on the audio preview I had with Mark Story of the Lexington Herald-Leader, ticket sales are down in Lexington and I don't see any signs of it improving for Kentucky. Vanderbilt is on the rise, Tennessee will be improved if they stay healthy, Florida is in a sputter, and then add Missouri into the division. A recipe for disaster if you're Kentucky. Derek Dooley is doing all the right things at Tennessee. He was left with a cess pool and he's not going to instantly turn it into a coy pond. The loss of Da'Rick Rogers does have an impact, but if Tyler Bray stays healthy and a statement win against NC State, Tennessee could be a 7-5 team. However, I'm not sure it will happen. I could see Tennessee going 6-6, but I think the fan base could be trumpeting the Bobby Petrino song by season's end. They want to win, not wait for someone to build a program. Kentucky will be singing that song in a bluegrass tone as well.

9) Auburn will go 8-4 this season: The games I see Auburn losing for sure is against LSU and Alabama.  They will win a game or two they're not suppose to (Clemson, Arkansas, Georgia, Texas A&M) and possibly lose a game they're not suppose to (Vanderbilt, Miss St). Auburn proved critics wrong with their 8-5 finish last year. That was with a horrid defense that left them frozen like a deer on the interstate. The difference this year, the defense will improve, it couldn't get any worse than it was under Ted Roof. The offense may not blow you away this year, but it won't be as nightmarish. If Auburn does take a dive at 6-6, don't be alarmed.

10) LSU will win the SEC West, the SEC Championship, and will play for the BCS Title again:
Sorry Alabama, but you've pissed off a sleeping giant. Despite the hunger and desire that come from Alabama after the 9-6 regular season loss, LSU is coming in a bit hungrier this year. After the embarassment LSU suffered (mostly because of Jordan Jefferson), this LSU team is motivated. Although the Honey Badger has now left all doubts that LSU could be a contender, I disagree. LSU could have been in the last 5 years a dynasty that could have come once in a lifetime. The problem, Jordan Jefferson just flat out sucked as QB and Jarrett Lee had his moments until he became Jarrett Lee again. With the talent LSU had at WR, they didn't have a QB competent enough to give them the ball. There's no arguing that Alabama may have the best offense in the SEC and a stack of talent that's getting a shot on defense. However, it's VERY VERY VERY hard to repeat as a National Champion in FBS. Will they contend? You bet. A new offensive co-ordinator and new defensive starters could see Alabama going 10-2 at worse. The X-Factor is Zach Mettenberger for LSU. From what I've seen of this guy, he's legit and should have been the starter last year. Also, their matchup on Nov. 3rd is at night in Baton Rouge. Les Miles rarely loses those games.

There you go, discuss and tell me I'm right or tell me I'm wrong. Let the debate begin.

2012 OTM SEC Preview: Kentucky

Mark Story with the Lexington Herald-Leader joins Jason to preview the 2012 Kentucky Wildcats.

2012 OTM SEC Preview: Mississippi State



Apologies for the delay but we pick things back up with a preview of the Mississippi State Bulldogs with Brandon Marcello of the Jackson-Clarion Ledger.

Higher than the Appalachians? In Ann Arbor???

What is probably one of the greatest moments in college football history, or the one moment in Michigan football you'd like to forget, could have been influenced by a certain recreational herb? That's the story that came out today. A former Michigan player, who was a freshman at the time, said nearly half the Michigan Wolverines football team was "stoned" during the Appalachian State game back in 2007. I only got to see pieces of the game, but looking at the video from above, the only person you would have think without a shadow of a doubt to be high was the offensive co-ordinator for Michigan. From chatsports.com: "In a shocking revelation, this former player told me that over half of Michigan’s defensive starters and several key offensive starters partied deep into the night the night before the 2007 Michigan vs. Appalachian State game, then smoked marijuana hours before kickoff in an effort to “see how bad we can beat ‘em up if we are stoned.” The player said that the Michigan secondary and linebackers were the main participants of this group, but the ring leader was an explosive offensive playmaker, who would later be suspended during his Michigan career for failing a drug test. " I don't claim to be an expert, but past observations would lead me to believe that if they got high before the game (that morning), looking by the second half performance it was beginning to diminish. Not confirmed if they feasted on Funyons and watched Scooby Doo in the locker room at halftime. You'd think a team like Michigan that was projected by some to compete for a National Championship could have beat one of the best FCS teams, even if they were baked. However, it was not the case. Reading further into this article may have revealed the real reason why Michigan probably got beat by App State. "When facing Appalachian State, Michigan players nor coaches took them too seriously. “The coaches barely even game planned for App State regardless. We didn’t prepare any differently nor see any tape of their offense during game week. We were working on normal prep and facing our offense. Armani Edwards was having a field day on us because we didn’t even know he was a fast dual-threat guy. The whole week is an embarrassment. Starting that day, I never enjoyed playing football at Michigan again. That was the day that Michigan football died. Hopefully Hoke fully revives it. I know he is almost there, and that is awesome to see.” As funny as this story is to talk about, I knew it couldn't have been the sole reason a top caliber team would lose to an FCS school. Seeing this paragraph made me believe this is why Lloyd Carr rode off into the sunset and set Michigan up for it's worst era in history. This brought to mind the same year, Alabama losing to Louisiana-Monroe. In Saban's first year, as we know already, there were some guys who really weren't giving that Saban caliber of effort. So I'm not saying that Saban did not prepare for them, but it wouldn't surprise me to find out half of them were stoned as well. You'd have to be to a middle of the road team (at the time) to lose to a FBS lite team like Louisiana-Monroe. Does this seem like an excuse for making history on the losing end? Yeah it does. I can't convince myself that a group of football players being baked would lose a game like this by itself. The coaches seemed to act like they were stoned as well.

OTM 2012 SEC Preview: Day 2 - Vanderbilt

Teresa Walker from the AP in Nashville stops by to preview the 2012 Vanderbilt Commodores. Many eyes will be on Vanderbilt this season. With a 6-7 finish and the buzz of James Franklin recruiting class, the question is will Vanderbilt take that next step in 2012? With a SEC East that has been down the last few years, prospects could look high glancing at their schedule. With the exception of conference road games vs. Georgia and Mizzou, Vanderbilt has the home field against the likes of Auburn, Florida, and South Carolina. The 2011 team beat the teams they were supposed to and gave Georgia and Florida everything they had in short losses. Even with another 6-6 season, Vanderbilt can climb out of the SEC cellar for the 1st time in years. James Franklins hopes for more than just a flash in the pan unlike previous coaching eras. The X-Factors for Vanderbilt's success or demise is the Offensive Line play and Secondary position for defense. A healthy Vanderbilt team could compete with most of the SEC East opponents on their upcoming slate. With no Alabama, LSU, or Arkansas, the Commodores with a few breaks can see a 8-4 season at best on paper. However, in the real world, 6-6 is the safe bet and James Franklin has another piece to his culture rennovation in Nashville. Key players: QB Jordan Rogers WR Jordan Matthews LB Archibald Barnes LB Chase Graham

OTM 2012 SEC Preview Day One: Ole Miss Rebels

I talk with Hugh Kellenberger with the Jackson-Clarion Ledger about the Ole Miss Rebels beginning a new era under Head Coach Hugh Freeze. Kellenberger seems optimistic for the future for the Rebels, Hugh Freeze could be the guy to do it. However, with an insane schedule where Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, and Georgia are on the road, and including a non-conference game against Texas. The climb back into a competitive state is very steep. The QB situation is not showing any sign of either Barry Brunetti or Bo Wallace. The wide recievers will have to step up with Jesse Grandy no longer with the team. The defensive line is very young and DT Shackleford doesn't look to be playing this coming season due to the ACL injury suffered last year. There's a new energy in Oxford. However, they play in a very energized and competitve SEC West. I see the Rebels going 3-9 with a best case scenario of 4-8. Tomorrow, we preview the Kentucky Wildcats.

History made: Augusta National is now Co-Ed. Will Hypocrisy ensue?

I lived in the Augusta area when Martha Burk was the most infamous name since James Brown and remember when the debate of women being allowed membership into Augusta National Golf Club was hotter than Augusta in July.

Today marks history, Augusta National will introduce the 1st women members of the club. South Carolina finance guru Darla Moore and Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice will be introduced as members  in October.

The argument that I constantly heard, and agree with, when Martha Burk was stirring the pot for women's rights was "It's a private club. They should be able to do what they want." They were right, if it was a public club, Martha Burk's protest would have been justified. That was 2002.........

Fast forward ten years later, Augusta National will introduce two women into their club. Does the same argument from 2002 still apply now that the club has now broken the traditional all-male inclusion? The answer is yes. You may not like what Augusta National did, and you can say they caved under pressure. However, it is private club, and they did what they wanted to.

The real question I ask now is how many people who used that argument in 2002 against women being in the club are okay with the inclusion of these two very accomplished women in 2012? That's the true honesty test.

Besides, why did it matter to begin with no matter what side of the fence you were on? Playing on that course is considered a bucket list item for you and myself. Martha Burk will take credit and do her victory lap with this news that has come out. Only time will tell if it will be enough to satisfy her cause. It should, because private clubs are usually not made that open to folks like us. I think this issue has been put to bed.

The OTM 2012 SEC Preview Begins tomorrow with Ole Miss

After getting all the eggs into one basket.....the blog is ready to kick into full gear. I'm looking to add alot of audio and video into this blog to make it more informative and entertaining. I hope you will enjoy the new features this blog is going to offer. I've also working on getting some great people to support this blog, and I hope you will all support them like they are supporting me. Football season is near......and we're ready to rock. Be ready for daily posts and I hope you enjoy what this blog offers as I am excited to bring it to you.