SEC providing excitement for some, depression for others
Off the foul Pohl
Bart Pohlman
Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: Sports
It's been quite the crazy year in the Southeastern Conference.
Vanderbilt - yes, Vanderbilt - sits atop the conference with a perfect 4-0 overall record.
The Commodores haven't been to a bowl game since 1982, when Vandy played in the now-defunct Hall of Fame Bowl. You know it's been a rough stretch when the last bowl game you played in doesn't even exist anymore.
It's no coincidence then, that Vandy hasn't had a winning record since that same year. For the mathematically challenged, that's 26 years of losing.
That means the Commodores haven't had a winning record since Arkansas last beat Florida. About that game this weekend…
After the Commodores, the only other unbeaten team in the SEC Eastern Division is Kentucky. The Wildcats haven't actually played a conference game yet, so they don't really count.
The real shocker of the group might be 1-3 Tennessee. The Volunteers are struggling to score and prevent other teams from scoring. Believe it or not, both those things will hurt their chances to win. If the Vols can't turn it around, it might be the end of the road for their coach, the Michelin Man.
South Carolina still can't play football in the SEC and the Gamecocks have already lost to Vandy, increasing the already fantastic odds that Steve Spurrier is wondering why he took the job in the first place. (On a side note, does anyone else want "Darth Visor" back? There's something fun about watching a grown man slam a visor to the ground and stomp on it.)
Georgia and Florida, preseason favorites in the East, have each already lost one conference game. The Bulldogs were embarrassed at home by Alabama, and the Gators dropped a close one to Ole Miss.
In the Western Division, things are going more according to plan.
Alabama and LSU sit atop the division with undefeated records. Alabama has blown out nearly all its opponents, while LSU is still searching for the right quarterback.
Auburn sits at 4-1 overall and 2-1 in SEC play, although after watching them play, it makes you wonder how they've won four games in the first place. While their defense is one of the best in the country, their offense is one of the worst. In fact, the Tigers might be 1-2 in the SEC if they hadn't survived a rally by Mississippi State in the bottom of the ninth in a 3-2 win.
Ole Miss shocked Florida in the Swamp last weekend, giving the Rebels their first SEC win of the season. In his 10 seasons with Arkansas, Houston Nutt always followed up his first SEC loss with his second. In his first year at Ole Miss, this streak has come to an end. Really? It took 10 years? Wow.
Finally, there are cellar dwellers Arkansas and Mississippi State. If you thought the Auburn-Mississippi State game qualified as the "worst football game ever," wait until Nov. 22, when the Razorbacks and Bulldogs will likely battle for their only conference win of the season.
There's always something about the SEC that makes conference play exciting. This season will be no different.
Bart Pohlman is the sports editor of The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Friday.
Vanderbilt - yes, Vanderbilt - sits atop the conference with a perfect 4-0 overall record.
The Commodores haven't been to a bowl game since 1982, when Vandy played in the now-defunct Hall of Fame Bowl. You know it's been a rough stretch when the last bowl game you played in doesn't even exist anymore.
It's no coincidence then, that Vandy hasn't had a winning record since that same year. For the mathematically challenged, that's 26 years of losing.
That means the Commodores haven't had a winning record since Arkansas last beat Florida. About that game this weekend…
After the Commodores, the only other unbeaten team in the SEC Eastern Division is Kentucky. The Wildcats haven't actually played a conference game yet, so they don't really count.
The real shocker of the group might be 1-3 Tennessee. The Volunteers are struggling to score and prevent other teams from scoring. Believe it or not, both those things will hurt their chances to win. If the Vols can't turn it around, it might be the end of the road for their coach, the Michelin Man.
South Carolina still can't play football in the SEC and the Gamecocks have already lost to Vandy, increasing the already fantastic odds that Steve Spurrier is wondering why he took the job in the first place. (On a side note, does anyone else want "Darth Visor" back? There's something fun about watching a grown man slam a visor to the ground and stomp on it.)
Georgia and Florida, preseason favorites in the East, have each already lost one conference game. The Bulldogs were embarrassed at home by Alabama, and the Gators dropped a close one to Ole Miss.
In the Western Division, things are going more according to plan.
Alabama and LSU sit atop the division with undefeated records. Alabama has blown out nearly all its opponents, while LSU is still searching for the right quarterback.
Auburn sits at 4-1 overall and 2-1 in SEC play, although after watching them play, it makes you wonder how they've won four games in the first place. While their defense is one of the best in the country, their offense is one of the worst. In fact, the Tigers might be 1-2 in the SEC if they hadn't survived a rally by Mississippi State in the bottom of the ninth in a 3-2 win.
Ole Miss shocked Florida in the Swamp last weekend, giving the Rebels their first SEC win of the season. In his 10 seasons with Arkansas, Houston Nutt always followed up his first SEC loss with his second. In his first year at Ole Miss, this streak has come to an end. Really? It took 10 years? Wow.
Finally, there are cellar dwellers Arkansas and Mississippi State. If you thought the Auburn-Mississippi State game qualified as the "worst football game ever," wait until Nov. 22, when the Razorbacks and Bulldogs will likely battle for their only conference win of the season.
There's always something about the SEC that makes conference play exciting. This season will be no different.
Bart Pohlman is the sports editor of The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Friday.
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