Taylor's Week 7 SEC Preview

Game of the Week: #1 LSU at #17 Kentucky

LSU comes into this game with a near loss in Death Valley to the Florida Gators on Saturday. Now, they must leave their friendly confines in Baton Rouge to travel to unfamiliar territory known as the "Bluegrass" state. Kentucky lost to USC in a big game in which star quarterback Andre Woodson was a letdown as he didn't impress as much as people thought he may. Well, that game he was going up against the best pass defense in the Nation on the road. This game, he will be going up against a pass defense which is not quite as good, at home. Overall, Kentucky is as good, if not better than the Florida Gators on offense, a team that put up a very good fight against the Tigers on the road. Now, Kentucky gets the chance to host the Tigers, who will be playing their first major road game this season. The key for the Tigers will be to stop Woodson. The Gamecocks did so, and they won the game. If the Tigers can do this, as well as maintain their strong rushing defense, they should win this game. Key for the Cats will be to move the ball on offense. Woodson needs to have a strong showing if the Cats want to win. If Kentucky can move the ball better than they did against South Carolina, they can win this game. I expect LSU to win this game, but Kentucky will play them very close, and have a great shot at the upset.

Alabama at Mississippi

Ole Miss won their first game since opening week this weekend with a convincing win over Louisiana Tech, while Alabama comes into this game with a near loss to Houston. This game can go either way. If John Parker Wilson can limit his mistakes, and the Tide have a good game on the ground, then Alabama should win this game. But, Ole Miss' offensive combination of BJGE and Seth Adams will give the Rebels a shot to win. The Rebels' offense will need to score a lot of points if they want to win, because their defense will have a hard time stopping any kind of attack the Tide put on them. I think Alabama will put up a lot of production on this soft Ole Miss offense, and will hold off the Rebels' offense enough to win this game.

#25 Tennessee at Mississippi State

The Vols come into this game after an outstanding performance against the Georgia Bulldogs with a seeminly rejuvinated defense, and a new breath of life in the SEC East race. But, it's time to prepare, because Tennessee faces another tough challenge as they travel to face Mississippi State, a team with upset on their mind. Ainge isn't facing an easy pass defense, so he'll need to play smart and limit his mistakes. The Vols best bet to winning this game will be to keep swarming to the ball and making good tackles like they did against Georgia, or Dixon will have a big game, which could mean possible upset. The key for Mississippi State will be to play good defense. Good defense is how they beat Auburn, by forcing turnovers. If they do that this game, and turn those turnovers to points, they can upset the Vols.Tennessee should win this game, but they can't be overly confident, as this is a very dangerous Mississippi State team. The Vols needs to keep building on their win against Georgia.

#7 South Carolina at North Carolina

South Carolina faces a dangerous North Carolina team on the road this week. If the Gamecocks can limit their turnovers, they should win this game. USC is coming off of a big win against the Cats to take the lead of the SEC East. If they're too hung over, it could be a long day for this team. If the Tar Heels can force some turnovers and swing some momentum their way at home, they have the potential to pull out an upset.I like the Gamecocks to come out of North Carolina by a couple of scores.

#24 Georgia at Vanderbilt

The Bulldogs come into this game with a bang after their loss in Knoxville. Thomas Brown is out, but Lumpkins should be back in, and will be teamed with Moreno to make a dangerous running back duo. Vandy's defense seemed to buckle down to Auburn's running game last week, so Georgia should try to attack their front 7. Stafford also needs to have some consistency to balance out the offense. If Vandy can stop the run like the Vols did, they can win this game.I think Vandy will stay in this game in the first half, with Georgia pulling away behind their running game in the last half.

#22 Auburn at Arkansas

Arkansas comes into this game with the best rushing offense in the SEC. Passed that though, they haven't had much production, while Auburn has had success stopping the run, where they rank 3rd in the conference. This is the best rushing defense the Hogs have played thus far. Auburn also seems to have a rejuvinated rushing attack with the return of Lester. The key for Auburn will be to slow down the Razorback rushing attack. The running game is what keeps Arkansas is close games, so slowing that down will give Auburn the best shot to win. Arkansas needs to work to pressure Cox. Cox has proven at times he can buckle under pressure, but has shown consistency the last few weeks. I think Auburn wins this game by a score or two, scoring in the mid twenties.

Warriors Review//Preview

Golden State Warriors Preview/Review
By: Jeff K

After having not made the playoffs in 13 years, it finally happened for the Golden State Warriors. It all started when the Warriors signed Don Nelson which delighted all Warriors fans because their old coach was coming back. This was great news for the Warriors, but bad news for other teams. Everybody knew that Don Nelson was one of the best coaches ever and he was now returning to the Warriors. Don Nelson, also known as Nellie, signed with the Warriors hoping that his style of offense would be a better fit for them. Nellie runs a Suns-like type of offense which has been successful for teams in the past and the Warriors’ players were excited that they would be running this offense instead of the half court offense they usually run.

There is so much to talk about here for the Warriors and their great season. The Warriors struggled in the beginning of the year, which had many Warriors fans thinking not this again, we have waited so long and we will have to wait again. The Warriors led by Baron Davis and the front office had different ideas though. In January, the Warriors and the Indiana Pacers announced that a trade had been made. The Warriors sent Keith McLeod, Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, and Ike Diogu to the Pacers.In return, the Pacers sent Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, Sarunas Jasikevicius, and Josh Powell. This was a great trade for the Warriors. They filled in the big pieces that they needed and now their team looked even more complete.

After the trade was completed, was when it really started for the Warriors though. Fans started to think believe that this could finally be the year for the Warriors. The Warriors became a better team and they had some confidence, which as you all know, helps out a young team. The Warriors, one of the youngest teams in the league was playing like they were veterans with a few exceptions of some stupid mistakes that showed how young the team really was. The Warriors and their leader Baron Davis were on top of the world in their minds, thinking about the playoffs.

Playoffs being right around the corner, the Warriors still found themselves fighting for a playoffs spot. It became clear to the Warriors that they were the ones who believed that they could get that last playoff spot and that they deserved it. With just a few games left until the season was over, the Warriors needed to win every game if they wanted to reach the playoffs for the first time in 13 years.

In Portland, the Warriors were playing the Trail Blazers. This game was a must win for the Warriors if they wanted to make the playoffs. Thousands and thousands of fans in Aurco Arena waited to see if their beloved team would finally make it. It finally happened when the Warriors beat the Trail Blazers and the Warriors broke the curse and were in the playoffs!!!

The Warriors had the eighth seed, but who cares, they had finally made the playoffs. For the first time in 13 years, the Warriors were going to be playing more than 82 games. But guess who is first up for the Warriors. Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. Though the Warriors have had some great success against the Mavericks this year and in the past years, Dallas was going to be a hard team to beat.

The series started in Dallas, where the Warriors had high hopes. The Warriors came out winning Game One and at the same time, gained interest from other people and band wagoners as well. The Warriors became a fan favorite, and were watched all over the world.

When the series came back to Golden State, the Warriors proved that they aren’t just going to win one game and go home. The Warriors ended up winning the series, and moved on to play the Utah Jazz in the second round. This was a rough series for the Warriors though. They got ran over in a very quick series.

The Warriors are still a surprise team to everyone. A young team improving every day.

Recently, the Warriors traded Jason Richardson for Rookie Brandan Wright.

Watch out for the playoffs this coming year, they are going to keep getting stronger and stronger as the youth becomes older and learns more.

Wallpapers

Here are some Wallpapers that I fashioned in Photshop. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them and right click to save to your PC or assign as your Desktop Wallpaper.

Vols - Titans Wallpaper
Vols - Colts Wallpaper
Tennesse Volunteers 2007 Football Schedule WallpaperLamarcus Coker Wallpaper
Erik Ainge Wallpaper
Derrick Thomas Wallpaper

I'll have some team specific ones pretty soon, and if you want to request one, email me at the contact me link on the right hand side of the page. Tell your friends and if you want to post one or more images on your website or message board, send me a request.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Week 3 SEC Power Rankings

1. LSU TIGERS (same)
The Tigers' dominating victory over MSU to start the season was backed up on Saturday when the Virginia Tech Hokies payed them a visit in Baton Rouge. LSU sent them back to Blacksburg with their tails between their legs. Looking at their schedule, I am liking more and more my preseason prediction of an undefeated year. Flynn has an ankle sprain, but will likely play Saturday vs. MTSU. If, not they have a talented backup in Ryan Perrilloux who can get the job done.
Next opponent: MTSU

2. FLORIDA (same)
Florida hasn't really beaten anyone good to deserve this spot, but that will likely change on Saturday when they take on the Vols in the swamp. The defense will need to play better, but the offense is destined to score points on a weak Tennessee secondary. WR Andre Caldwell sprained his right knee against Troy and could miss multiple games and will almost definitely miss Saturday, but the Gators have 20 other receivers ready to step in and fill the void. Return man Brandon James will play despite spraining his ankle.
Next opponent: No. 22 Tennessee

3. ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS (+1)
Star receiver Marcus Monk and starting tight end Ben Cleveland will not play against Alabama. But defensive end Marcus Harrison, arrested last month for possession of Ecstasy and marijuana, will play after sitting out one game. Running back Darren McFadden is an early Heisman candidate and will be utilized heavily. If the Razorbacks can run the ball consistently against Bama, and there's no reason to believe they won't, they should roll over the Tide.Next opponent: Alabama

4. SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS(+3)
Steve Spurrier is not ready to anoint his team as an SEC title contender after last Saturday's upset, citing dropped passes by Georgia as a reason the Gamecocks got lucky. "We really need to play a lot better than we did if we're going to have a chance for a big year," Spurrier said. "We can't rely on a lot of good luck, a lot of good fortune that happened for us." A win on the road against a ranked SEC team is always a tough thing to accomplish, so the Cocks move up this week.
Next opponent: South Carolina State

5. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS (same)The Vols stay put at 5 after taking care of business against Southern Miss at home. The Vols will have to play much better if they are to expect a win in the Swamp. Cornerback Antonio Gaines suffered a season-ending injury to his knee in the affair, and he will be replaced by ultra-talented Freshman Eric Berry.
Next opponent: No. 5 Florida

6. GEORGIA BULLDOGS (-4)
They should move up next week after cruising to a win over Western Carolina, but they are 0-1 in SEC play right now after dropping one to the visiting Gamecocks.
Next opponent: Western Carolina

7. ALABAMA (-1)
The Tide face off against Arkansas this Saturday for their second SEC match-up in as many weeks and will face the best running attack they will see this year. Arkansas should take care of business and knock Bama down a few spots, but coming off of a semi-impressive win against Vandy in Nashville, they sit 7th.
Next opponent: No. 16 Arkansas

8. KENTUCKY WILDCATS (same)
QB Andre Woodson has lived up to the billing so far this year, but his first real test is coming up this week when the teams biggest rival, Louisville comes to Lexington. Billboards promoting Kentucky football are all around the Louisville campus, only adding more intensity to the in-state rivalry.
Next Opponent: No. 9 Louisville

9. AUBURN TIGERS (same)
Brandon Cox has lost some of his brilliance it would seem. Auburn dropped last weeks game against ACC rug mat South Florida in a game that was difficult to watch as both offenses made mistake after mistake. Cox has got to play better if Auburn is to have any hope of salvaging a respectable SEC finish. If they lose to Mississippi State this weekend, expect wholesale changes.
Next opponent: Mississippi State

10. OLE MISS REBELS (+1)
The offense, thanks to quarterback Seth Adams, is no longer the SEC's worst. Now it's the defense. Ole Miss ranks last in the SEC in total defense (507.5 yards per game) and pass defense (336.5). Coach Ed Orgeron said new defensive coordinator John Thompson doesn't deserve all the blame. "I'm involved in all the game planning of the defense," Orgeron said. "I have to share and take most of the fault for that." That's right Coach "O" you need to fire yourself.
Next opponent: Vanderbilt

11. VANDERBILT COMMODORES (-1)
Quarterback Chris Nickson, who injured his hamstring against Alabama last Saturday, is questionable to play in the Ole Miss game. Mackenzi Adams would start if Nickson can't play. The Commodores looked anything but impressive on offense as they struggled to put up points against a young Alabama defense. They had aspirations of a BCS bowl prior to the season. Now, lets just hope they get an SEC win.
Next Opponent: Ole Miss

11. MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS (same)
A sociology professor at Mississippi State made a joke last week about quarterback Michael Henig's six-interceptions against LSU. One member of the 200-person class didn't laugh. Apparantly the professor didn't realize Henig was in the class. The two spoke, according to Henig, and the professor apologized. When asked what was said when they spoke Henig replied " He said he didn’t realize I was in the classroom. And I said regardless of whether I was in the classroom or not, you don’t go around saying stuff about somebody, and second of all, if you're going to say it, you know, come say it to me. Don’t say it in front of 200 people in an auditorium."
Next opponent: Auburn

How to Piss People Off

1. If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.
2. Reply to everything someone says with "that's what you think."
3. Practice making fax and modem noises during conversations.
4. Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.
5. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears and grimacing.
6. Yell out random numbers when someone is counting.
7. Staple pages in the middle of the page.
8. Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a croaking noise.
9. Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints at the cash register.
10. TYPE IN UPPERCASE.
11. type only in lowercase.
12. dont use any punctuation either
13. Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.
14. Ask people what gender they are.
15. While making presentations, occasionally bob your head like a parakeet.
16. Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
17. Sing along at the opera.
18. Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.
19. Ask your co-workers mysterious questions and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "psychological profiles."
20. Perform the "chicken dance" to every song at the club, then brag about your dancing skills to whoever is watching.
21. Call a friend and tell them you bought them a gift and they should come over and get it, then when they arrive, don't answer the door.
22. When you're in line at a red light, pretend you have fallen asleep when the light changes.
23. Yell "Touchdown!" loudly at random times when you are doing your grocery shopping.
24. Walk around with headphones on at the mall singing "Karma Chameleon" loudly.
25. Respond to every statement people make with "If you only knew..." then snicker.
26. Go up to the cashier at a department store and inquire where the bathroom is, then walk away waddling like a duck.

Eric Berry and Other News

When the Vol defense takes the field on Saturday there will be a new face in the starting lineup opposite Jonathan Hefney. Eric Berry has been given the spot due to his impressive play in a losing effort last week against Cal. This comes as a surprise to very few that keep up with recruiting as Eric Berry had his pick of schools last year. He was third overall in the nation regardless of position and the #1 rated corner back.

So why is the Nation's #1 corner back playing strong safety? Berry practiced primarily at corner the entire preseason, but saw some time at safety toward the end. He played some corner in the Cal game in the first half but recently has said that he felt out of place due to the position being fairly new to him. (Berry played quarterback and safety in high school.)

He replaced Jarrod Parrish for the second half of the Cal game and in all, racked up 3 solo tackes and 4 assisted tackles and was the Vols 3rd leading tackler.

Fulmer said that after watching the film, Berry played as well as, if not better, than anyone in the secondary on Saturday.

OTHER TIDBITS:

• Saturday’s game marked just the third time in 55 games that the Vols had scored 30 or more points with David Cutcliffe as their offensive coordinator and lost.

• Erik Ainge has thrown 203 passes with only one interception after hurling 47 balls in the California game. That one interception was thrown against Penn State in the Outback Bowl.
  

• Chris Brown is the first Tennessee tight end since Austin Denny in a 28-0 victory over Auburn on September 24, 1966 to record two touchdown receptions in a single game.
  “I want to be a go-to guy,” said Brown, “somebody that can make the big catch and be an example on the field.”

• Defensive tackle Dan Williams was very nearly moved to the offensive line by head coach Phillip Fulmer. “I was going to move him,” said Fulmer. “He was moving. He was not where he needed to be with his weight and not committed and dedicated to getting his weight closer to where it needed to be [to play defensive tackle],” said Fulmer. After losing fifty pounds, and having a career day against Cal, Williams will get the chance of a lifetime when he lines up with the starters on Saturday.
  

• According to Chris Low, Ben Martin should be ready to play when the Vols face off against Florida in the Swamp. Martin was injured during fall practice in what appeared to be a significant knee injury, but later was shown to be a deep bone bruise. Martin is a highly recruited 5 star defensive end out of Ohio that should give the Vols a speed-threat on the line.

• It is sounding more and more like Memphis linebacker Chris Walker will be moved to defensive end for depth. Fulmer had this to say: "Chris Walker has done exceptionally well. He's really taken to the defensive end position. He could play linebacker, but we just have such a need for a young, speed-rush defensive end."

• If anyone was wondering why we didn't see more of Gerald Jones against Cal, he has been battling hamstring issues that prevented him from practicing prior to the game. Jones had earned a solid spot in the rotation before he got hurt.

  "It really is not the hamstring right now -- it's the work that he missed while he wasn't at practice, being a young guy," Coach Fulmer said. "But he's catching up fast. He's smart, and I think he will play and help us on Saturday. All the (young) receivers have been in the mix, pretty much."
  
  All said, Tennessee missed 22 tackles in its 45-31 loss to California on Saturday.

Week 2 SEC Power Rankings

I will be doing this each week after all games are played. Rankings are based on team performance not potential, and not necessarily on wins and losses. I call it like I see it.

1. LSU - they are going to have to lose a game to get knocked off this perch. Flynn looked good albeit against a weak MSU secondary.

2a. Florida - I really don't think I can put either team over the other based soley off of last weeks games. So I have UGA and UF tied. Tebow looked the part of an SEC quarterback. Of course it wasn't against an SEC team. Florida's defense looked suspect. Especially the secondary.

2b. Georgia - Stafford should improve dramatically over last year and he put up good numbers against an OSU team that many were picking for an upset.

4. Arkansas - Based solely on McFadden carrying this team on his back. I foresee them dropping in the near future.

5. Tennessee - Lost to a good Cal team and figure to win big this week with a retooled defense. Whether they win the UF game or not will go a long way toward determining what this team is made of. The offense is capable, the defense is better than they played vs. Cal.

6. Alabama - Decent win over a weak team. Really didn't give us much in the way of determining what kind of a team they are going to be. Especially on defense which is a weakness.

7. South Carolina - This team is probably better than a 7th ranking, but didn't play well last week. Blake Mitchell should add some familiarity to the offense and hopefully some consistency. An upset of UGA this weekend would catapult them into the top 5.

8. Kentucky - Andre Woodson showed no reason he should not be considered the top quarterback in the SEC last week. I just don't think he can continue to perform as well as he has against a much better SEC division. UGA is not going to lay over for them as they did last year.

9. Auburn - Cox is going to have to be good for this team to be good this year. Last week, he wasn't and Auburn was lucky to pull out a win.

10.Vandy - A win over Bama and this team would earn the respect that they believe they deserve. With the game in Nashville it is a real possibility. I still think Bama wins, but Vandy has the best receiver in the SEC IMO in Bennett and a not-too-shabby dual-threat quarterback taking snaps this year.

11. Ole Miss - They could more easily move up than anyone on this list. Benjarvis Green-Ellis is one of the leagues top 4 or 5 backs and needs to be more of a featured part of the Rebel's offense. QB Brent Schaeffer has one last chance to live up to the hype surrounding his joining the Ole Miss program. Thus far he has been an average quarterback and unfortunately, with the defense the Rebels have, he is going to have to be better-than-average.

12. Miss. State - No explanation needed.

Tennessee vs. Southern Miss Preview

After last week's hard fought West Coast loss to the Cal Bears, the Vols head home to face 1-0 Southern Miss out of Conference USA. The Vols are favored in this game by eleven points, and should be looking to revenge last week's tough loss. To do so, the Vols will need better play-calling, and much better tackling.

Stopping the run game shouldn't come much easier than last week, as the Vols face another talented back. Damion Fletcher, a Pre-season All-CUSA team selection, brings a different style running game than Cal's Justin Forsett. Fletcher makes defenses miss by using his power and quicksteps, while lacking the break away speed of Forsett. Tennessee's defense should focus on containing him and bringing him down. Missed tackles such as last week will cost the defense many more yards, and a potential upset.

With the poor defensive execution against Cal last week, Fulmer has replaced two seniors in the starting lineup. Sophomore Dan Williams will take the place of J. T. Mapu on the defensive line, and true freshmen sensation Eric Berry will make his first start at strong safety in replace of Jarrod Parrish.

“I want everybody to understand that the guys that played the best are the ones that are going to play,” Fulmer said.

Eric Berry opened the game as the Vols fifth defensive back, and with his great performance, finished at the strong safety.

“He brings an energy and he tries to crush people,” defensive backs coach Larry Slade said. “He gets around the football, whether it’s at corner or safety. He’s an outstanding football player.”

The key for the Vols will be offense in this game, as they go up against a very strong defensive team. Erik Ainge is looking to have another strong performance as he did in California. His pinky is not a problem, but the play-calling could be. Cutcliffe needs to open up his play-calling and try some deep passes to try to catch the defense napping if the Vols want to turn into a dangerous offense. The addition of LaMarcus Coker could help that. But, Cutcliffe is unsure of Coker's shape for Saturday's game against Southern Miss.

"He didn't practice with us at all prior to the California game - he just went with the scout team - so I don't know what kind of shape he's in," Cutcliffe said. "We'll just see day to day. (Monday) he was pretty rusty from knowing what to do and learning. He hadn't been in a meeting really."

If Coker can bring that big play spark he demonstrated for the Vols last season, he could really be a huge asset to the team. The Vols would then have two experienced running backs in Foster and Coker capable of breaking out for big plays, along with Hardesty who has shown a few sparks himself. A strong running game, along with some solid short passing plays could really open up the offense for some deep passes, which would be ideal for the Vols.

Another question mark heading into the game has been the situation of Xavier Mitchell. Mitchell sustained an injury in the opening game last Saturday and remained motionless for several minutes. As he was carted off the field, he waived his hands to the crowd. He returned home with the team, and reports say he just received a concussion. He spend the majority of his week answering phone calls and text messages from worried family and friends. Latest news says Mitchell has been cleared for practice contact, and he says he is feeling OK.

“We'll see how that goes,” Mitchell said. “It’s kind of a progression thing. If I don't have any problems, I feel real good that I'm going to play.”

One thing is for certain though, and that is the crazy VolNation will have Neyland Stadium packed with orange and white as the Vols play their home owner this weekend.

Go Vols

Xavier Mitchell Cleared to Play

Xavier Mitchell has been cleared by team doctors to play Saturday when the Volunteers face off against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. Mitchell gave the Vol Nation a scare in Berkeley on Saturday when he was knocked unconscious after a collision with teammate Eric Berry while attempting to make a tackle. The Vols will look to make up some ground in this, the home opener, after losing the season opening game to Cal. The game can be heard on the Vol Network, XM Channel 199, or online at UTSports.com.

SEC Quips

Courtesy of SWINETIME on SECTalk.com, here are some quips about the SEC teams:

(1) What does the average Alabama player get on his SATs?
.........Drool.

(2) What do you get when you put thirty-two Arkansas cheerleaders in one room?
.........A full set of teeth.

(3) How do you get a South Carolina cheerleader into your dorm room?
.........Grease her hips and push.

(4) How do you get a Georgia graduate off your porch?
.........Pay him for the pizza..

(5) How do you know if a Mississippi State football player has a girlfriend?
........There is tobacco spit on both sides of his pickup.

(6) Why is the Kentucky football team like a possum?
.........Because they play dead at home and get killed on the road.

(7) What are the longest three years of an Auburn football player's life?
.........His freshman year.

(8) How many Florida Freshmen does it take to change a light bulb?

.........None -- that's a sophomore course.

(9) Where was O. J. headed in the white Bronco?
........Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He knew that the police would never look at LSU for a Heisman Trophy winner.

AND FINALLY (drum roll and cymbal crash.....)

(10) Why did Tennessee choose orange as their team color?
.........You can wear it to the game on Saturday, hunting on Sunday, and picking up trash along the highways the rest of the week.

Pac-10 Preview

1.USC-What can you say about this team? John David Booty an extremly talented quartorback, who stepped into the shoes of Matt Linert and stepped up to show what he could do. With the lossess of two very good wide-outs in Dwyane Jarret and Steve Smith it should affect a team, but no not USC. They have two other wide-outs over 6'3 who will step into the shoes and do well.

2.Cal-Nate Longshore had some games where would be off and throw some INT's. Thugh he will just keep on getting stornger into this. Losing Marshaun Lynch will hurt the running game a little bit, but it's not going to kill them. Cal is still going to be a sloid all aorund team and look for them to be in a better bowl game this year.

3.UCLA-Good solid team. The Bruins don't really have one player who can do it all like Drew did a few years back, but they have a solid overall team. The Bruins had a few very big wins, but the biggest was against the Trojans. Yes, the Bruins did beat the Trojans last year, which was big for not just the Bruins, but also the Berkely Bears. With the loss it meant that Cal and USC tied for first place in the Pac-10.

4.Arizona State-The Sun Devils do not play a ranked team for a while. Actually they will not until October 27th when they play number #12 Cal Bears. From that game on the season will be very hard for them to maintain their rankings. Though because of the easier schedule i will give them the number four mark. Key game to look for which might be an upset San Jose State Week two. Tharts going to be a good game.

5.Oregon-Ducks, Ducks, Ducks. The Ducks started off the 2006-2007 season with a pretty good start, but then they started to drift off after that. The Ducks have an high powered offense and not a great defense. They are a good defensive team, but they are not great. It will be a very hard road for the Ducks this year so don't be surprised if the Ducks do not come in 5th or above. The Ducks have to play #5 Michigan, #12 California Bears, #1 USC, and #14 UCLA. Another team to watch out for is Fresno State for the Ducks they are a good team.

6.Oregon State-Alright I cheated a bit on this one. I didn't really know a lot about this team before so I had to look at their box score from todays game. The Oregon State's offense struggled a bit, but it's the first game and it normally takes offenses some time to get in the grove of things.

7.Washington-After watching today's game with the Washigton'sdefense is extremly impresive. They were tearing up the Orange Men's offense. Sack, pressures, and hurries ups were what they were seeing the whole game. The defensive of coordinator has really built the Huskies into a great defensive team. Impresive tonight, but will they be able to keep?

8.Arizona-Not the strongest team out in the Pac-10, but with the spread offense the Wildcats could do some damange. even though the Cats defense is not very good with the type of offense they run it could be pretty good.

9.Washington State-Well, Washington State is not as bad as many people say that they are. Though they are still pretty bad. Though the Cougars run the spread offense which will get them somewhere and they have a very good quatorback.

10.Stanford-Umm.. What to say what to say. Well, looking on the bright side of things, Stanford won one game last year, but other than that there really isn't much else to think about for the team. Though look for them to be a bit better than they were last year.

Tennessee vs. Cal Game Recap

With 20,000+ Rocky Top crazy fans in attendance, the Vols went into Berkeley looking to give Cal some more heartbreak, but the Bears sought for their revenge and captured it, beating the Vols 45-31.

Erik Ainge led the Vols, and looked great doing so, finishing the game with 270 yards, and 3 touchdown tosses on 31-47 passing. He showed great leadership with the revamped receiving crew. Ainge completed passes to a total of 8 receivers, led by Chris Brown, who received the most completions with 8, and Lucas Taylor, who finished with the most yards, 102. The offensive line did a solid job of giving Ainge enough time to read the defense and find the open receivers, as he threw 10 straight completions before his first incomplete pass.

Tennessee also had a solid night running the ball. Foster had 86 yards on 13 attempts, as well as a touchdown reception, making some big plays for the Vols to turn momentum in their favor. Monterio Hardesty ran for a touchdown as well.

Offense didn't serve as the major however, as it was a tough night on defense for the Vols as they faced a very stout California offense. The Bears' speed and chemistry exploited the holes in the inexperienced Tennessee defense, which gave up a total of 471 yards. Bears' head coach, Jeff Tedford, showed great play-calling, balancing the pass and run game very efficiently. Hawkins finished with 7 receptions for 89 yards, leading the Bears at receiver. The big playmaker for the Bears however was Justin Forsett, who finished the game with 160 yards on 26 attempts, and 2 touchdowns (1 rec.) Don't worry though, DeSean Jackson showed off his speed and playmaking as well with a voluminous punt return, getting the crowd in Berkeley on their feet.

At the end of the game, Xavier Mitchell was hurt on a play, and was motionless for an extent of around 5 minutes. He was removed off the field on a stretcher, and waived his hand to the crowd, relieving millions of spectators. Good luck to him, and I wish him a speedy recovery, as he will be needed on the Vols' defense.

At the end of the night, the Bears came out victorious. This is a very hard loss to swallow. The Vols look to release some steam against Southern Miss next week as they travel to Knoxville, then revenge a loss of their own against Florida, after losing to them by one point in Knoxville last season. But, don't look too far ahead, as Southern Miss should not be taken lightly.

Go Vols!

Mega-phone Madness

Cal was overwhelmed by the one of the top distinguished college football atmospheres in college football last season as they suffered their 35-18 blowout to the mighty Vols. Now, with the Vols on their way to the west coast, how can Cal match that exceptional noise, in an attempt to disrupt the Vols goal of winning the game? Mega-phones. California's athletic department will be handing out mega-phones to the Berkeley crowd on Saturday. They hope to create the same atmosphere as the 107,000+ crazy fans of Vol Nation.

Tennessee senior safety Jonathan Hefney is not impressed.

“They did that in high school,” Hefney said with a smile. “We come from the South,” Hefney said. “We play tough football.

“In high school, we played tough football. We came here (to UT) and it was the same thing. That’s what we're bringing to California just like when they came down last year.”

Can a bunch of West Coast fans seriously get into the Vols' heads, a school that plays in the tough stadium atmospheres of the SEC? This is a team that came back from 21 points down in one of the harshest atmosphere's of LSU's Death Valley in Baton Rouge. This is a team that has won 2 out of the last 3 in the Swamp. This is a team that goes into Tuscaloosa , where every fan hates Phillip Fulmer down to their bones, and comes out victorious.

“We're just going to go in like we did last year and do what we have to do, man to man, throw the zone in there, do whatever we have to do to stay on top of them and not let them get the big play,” Hefney said.

Vols, listen up. You go into Cal and show the how SEC football is played. You're fighting for your school, your city, your state, all the Vols fans around the Nation, a whole region where football reigns supreme, and the millions of SEC fans that call it home.
Go Vols!

LSU - MSU Game Recap - A World Class Beatdown

Thursday night's match up between 2nd ranked LSU and unranked Mississippi State kicked off the SEC season in dramatic fashion. No, it was not even competitive. But it was southern football at it's finest, a rain-drenched, hard fought (initially) battle between classic foes.

The final score doesn't tell the whole story. MSU's defense played well early and LSU's offense struggled to find any kind of a rhythm, but the poor play of State quarterback Mike Henig gave the Tigers' offense ample opportunities to put together scoring drives. Factor in that new LSU Offensive Coordinator Gary Crowton did not really want to show his hand early with much tougher games coming up, and the Tiger's offensive flatness makes more sense.

While Matt Flynn did little to live up to the billing the LSU faithful had given him all off-season as the next great LSU quarterback, Henig made him look like a pro.

Henig finished the day 11 of 28 passing for 120 yards and 6 interceptions. The Tigers scored points after five of his interceptions and he also fumbled a snap on a fourth and 1 play in the first of only two trips into LSU territory.

It is hard to say anything positive about a team that fails to score even a field goal, but the MSU defense played with heart. Unfortunately heart was not enough on that fatal evening in Starkville.

Final Score 45-0

Vols Land "Big" Recruit

The Vols made one positive step in improving their run game in the 2008 season on Wednesday as 6'5", 315 pound offensive lineman, Preston Bailey stepped to the podium and said he would be playing for the Big Orange next season. Out of Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, TN, Preston is a 4-star recruit, the number 4 prospect out of Tennessee, and ranked 30 at his position by Rivals.

In the back of Preston's mind, he knew Tennessee was the right place to go, but a visit to Michigan had him second guessing. When it was all said and done, Bailey could just not refrain from the great Rocky Top atmosphere, "playing in the best conference and against the top athletes in the Nation," as Preston put it to terms.

Bailey also seemed very intrigued with the thought of playing under Phillip Fulmer. From his visit, he admires Fulmer greatly as a coach, and as a mentor. His family grew to like Fulmer as well, and Bailey referred to his visit as "Not a college visit, but visiting a friend."

Bailey will join high school teammate Ben Bartholomew in Knoxville next season. Both players are known for their strength and leadership, as well as being great gentlemen and students, and we are happy to have them as a part of the Vols.