This is the VSL consensus ballot for this week's SEC Power Rankings.
We look forward to your collective scorn.
1. LSU
2. Florida
3. Kentucky
4. Auburn
5. South Carolina
6. Alabama
7. Georgia
8. Vanderbilt
9. Tennessee
10. Arkansas
11. Mississippi State
12. Ole Miss
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26 comments:
The only possible change is switching TN to #10 and ARK to #9, given the nature of the giant shit that TN took in Tuscaloosa and the ass-whipping ARK put on Ed Orgeron, a.k.a "The Big Red One." Otherwise, Kool and the Gang.
Check this excerpt from today's Tennessean, the article where we read about how Fulmer is losing control of the team: RB Hardesty skipping Sunday practice and whatnot.
"Not there yet: Receiver Kenny O'Neal also missed practice but Fulmer said the junior-college transfer was excused.
'Kenny had academic business he was taking care of,' Fulmer said."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...(wipes eyes, doubled over)...Phil, you're killing me...academic business? Like paying a tutor to write a paper?
Considering that Arkansas only has lost three conference games by a combined total of nine points, I think their treatment on this poll is a little unjustified (I assume Dr. Boyer is royally POed.)
As for whether Arkansas should be ahead of Vandy, I realize last week's win gives VSL an opportunity to be generous. It's true that the Hogs don't have a win like that on their resume yet. But they also haven't been embarrassed and/or dominated by anyone either (Tennessee and Vandy are both very guilty of this).
The Vandy/Arkansas argument obviously will have to be settled once Arkansas gets into its November stretch of SEC games. But if I had to make a choice now, I'd go with the team with the Heisman frontrunner -- which also happens to be the team that hasn't gotten blown off the field by anyone too.
My last post is inaccurate. Arkansas has lost three conference games by a combined total of eight points -- I forgot they only lost to Auburn by two...in the final seconds of the game.
Vandy is getting a little too much credit for beating a mediocre SC team. SC eeked by a crap UNC team only over a week ago, has no real running game, and a quarterback carousel that spins faster than actual facts do on the O'Reilly Factor.
I only wish Arkansas played Vandy this year. You ain't seen a running game yet, Commies!
Boyer, I'd like to see that match-up. Since ARK heavily depends on the run, it would be an interesting test for Vandy's front 7.
They could still meet...in a bowl perhaps??
Must have been hard to graduate from UNC with such poor math skills Dr. MZ.
I believe you mistakenly read that Arkansas lost 42-39 to KY. When in fact the actual score of that game was 42-29. Thus they have lost three SEC games by a combined total of 18 points, not 9.
In addition, wins over North Texas, Troy, UT-Chattanooga, and Ole Miss (though gotta give credit for destroying them) are not overly impressive. The Vandy win over South Carolina (who beat Kentucky and is NOT a mediocre team) is much better.
I thought Arkansas lost to Kentucky 42-39. I'm not good at math. But I'm not THAT bad.
THE DOC
Arkansas has lost three SEC games by a combined total of 18 (not 8) points. Vandy lost on a last-second field goal once this year as well. Vandy beat South Carolina on Saturday and Arkansas doesn't have a comparable win. Arkansas is 1-3 in the second-best division in football, Vandy is 2-3 in the best division.
No bonus points just for having a Heisman candidate.
Troy is tough. Ask Oklahoma State.
We'll see how November plays out.
Still, ranking the Hogs 10th two weeks in a row is incredibly harsh.
And Seamus -
You're right, Arkansas doesn't have a comparable win, but they also don't have a comparable loss to Vandy (Auburn's throttling) OR Tennessee (Bama's throttling).
We'll have to wait at least two weeks for this to be settled, because Arkansas gets Florida International at home this Saturday.
I hate to say it but McFadden is no longer a Heisman Candidate. His team is garbage and they have not won a game that has mattered in all season. He might be the number one overall pick, but as Seamus noted that doesn't get you bonus points. Their running attack, absent a qb, is pretty down this year. It is no longer feared and no one cares about Arkansas. Their coach is going to be fired at the end of the season when all the their players leave and they again will be reduced to a bad team in the middle of a the second best division in the SEC.
And who cares how many points that have lost by, a loss is a loss. YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!!!
As for the rankings i would have to say Vandy and Tenn tie, and that game is going to be tough for Vandy. They could be playing for Fulmer's job.
Seamus --
I corrected myself. Put down your sword on that.
My question to you is this. Do you believe Vanderbilt has a better chance of playing in a bowl than Arkansas? I realize this has little do with ranking the teams at this point in the season -- so don't hop on me for that. This is an unrelated question.
MM
And on another unrelated note, if you've watched the games this year and you don't think Darren McFadden is the best player in the country, then you don't know donkey about football.
Boyer, I have three words for you: Gust. Of. Wind.
If you believe Arkansas deserved their win over Vandy last year, I'm revoking your degree.
Andrew: I have one word for you:
Scoreboard.
MZ -
Didn't see you had corrected yourself -- timing issue.
Arkansas probably has a roughly equal chance to play in a bowl. Both teams could easily go 7-5 given their remaining schedules. If that happens, Vandy's 7-5 will be more impressive because of their quality wins (against USC and either UK, UT, or UF) and their out-of-conference schedule (Wake is better than anyone ARK plays non-conference).
These predictions are pretty meaningless though, in my opinion. What are you getting at?
What I'm getting at is that if you took a straw poll among SEC coaches today about which team they would rather face on Saturday -- this week -- every single one of them would choose Vanderbilt. I willing to bet every dollar of my unbelievably crappy salary that none of them would prefer seeing McFadden and Jones.
But as things stand with records right now, I don't think it's out of line at all to put Vanderbilt ahead of Arkansas. What I'm trying to do here is inject some realism into the dicussion. And at this point in the season, saying that the Hogs or McFadden have become irrelevant is really kind of delusional.
DOC
I think I speak for everyone in Commodore Nation Dr. MZ when I say thank you for your "realism." I don't know how we would go on without it.
Seriously,
Also, as for the second best division in the SEC? Last I checked Vandy has gotten whalloped by two SEC WEST teams not named LSU.
And for the record, Andrew, using the "weather phemonena causing misfortunes in athletics argument" is about as porous as Dick Cheney's morality.
Dr. MZ --
When did I say Arkansas has become irrelevant? Last week my whole argument was that saying they're a bad team is ludicrous. Like you said, the speculation as to who SEC coaches would rather face has very little to do with this poll.
If anything, this entire discussion only reinforces what everyone knows: the conference is chock full of very good teams. So good, in fact, that an excellent football team may be rated 10th in the conference when it would be top 3 or 4 in most other conferences.
I'm glad we've managed to rehash the case for why the SEC is so ridiculous. Maybe the next debate should be whether the SEC champion ought to receive an automatic national championship bid...THAT would make for an interesting discussion.
MZ,
While i appreciate your "realism" i must respectfully disagree. First of all, i am not even sure that McFadden is the best RB in the nation. Mike Hart has more yards, more TD's, and averages almost identical yards per carry. Furthermore, to suggest that he is the best player, overall, might also be flawed. Tim Tebow, Glen Dorsey, and DeShaun Jackson all come to mind (Jackson especially, he is like a Devin Hester that can actually catch the ball) Mike Hart again all challenge him on this honor.
If this running back combo of Jones and McFadden is so feared then they should be able to win their teams the game. They are not that feared because their passing attack blows goats. Their leading receiver has under 300 yards, and their QB is terrible!! People can just load the box to stop the running game, and they dont have to worry about their WR's making plays. This takes the fear out of the game.
Vandy is an overall more balanced, although, not more explosive offense, and a better defense. Vandy should have some fear to conference rivals after beating Tenn, UGA, and USC in recent years.
Top to bottom Boyer the East is better than the West. Mississippi State and Ole Miss drag you down (even though those two teams aren't just atrocious).
Mike Hart's had a great college career -- no doubt about that. But McFadden is the better ball player. I, like most, will take the guy who pushes piles any day. I'd take Adrian Peterson over Reggie Bush for the same reason.
THE DOC
vandy beat south carolina. south carolina beat UK. UK beat LSU. LSU beat florida. florida destroyed ohio state in last year's national championship. ohio state is currently ranked #1 in the country, by default...the the transitive property actually tells us that vanderbilt is now the best team in the country. i win.
Hahahaha!
Gotta love that transitive property.
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