Behind The Scoreboard - Claude Vinson


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Behind The Scoreboard
By Claude Vinson

Focusing on the SEC

Sometimes it is virtually impossible to be one dimensional after such a weekend as we have just experienced, and it is not necessarily sports which we are primarily referring to. With a backdrop of a “tell all” book released by “The Terminator” to the flame out at the Ryder Cup, there was much to be digested.

Let me offer my apologies at the outset. There will be little or no attention paid to the pro ranks in this one. And believe you me, there is much which could be said about the pro ranks on this particular weekend (past), from the plight of Chuck Pagano (new Colts coach) to the Patriots’ record-setting second half.

Being first of all a diehard fan of the SEC and an alumnus of Ole Miss, I must lead off with the Rebels-Tide game on Saturday. Please don’t read me too quickly – my personal aspirations for Ole Miss in this game were singularly that, personal aspirations. I did not doom my Rebels by giving them that same chance as a snowball rolling through the land of H-E double hockey sticks. Au contraire, yours truly was just brimming with “what if’s.” Discount, if you will, some non-scientific polls which indicated that Ole Miss on its 3-1 season start, had only a 7 percent chance of upsetting the rolling Tide.

But no matter the final outcome, one had to grip the arms of the sturdy recliner and reach for the Kool-Aid when the Rebels went up 7-6. Of course, it was too early in the game with the number one team in the nation, to begin the celebration. And although it has been predicted that the resurging Mississippi State Bulldogs have a 51 percent chance of stopping the Tide within its schedule, I must reaffirm my stand that Alabama will repeat as national champion. The Bullies (currently ranked #21) were off this past weekend and won’t face Alabama until October 27.

The SEC still maintains a half a dozen teams in the top 25 and if you tuned into the Tennessee-Georgia (#5) or South Carolina (#6)-Kentucky game, it is easy to see why. Incidentally, it is rumored that UGA IX (Georgia’s mascot) tweeted some of his doggie pals stating that he had met “Smokey” (Vols’ mascot) and he was a real “houn’ dog”.

A non-SEC team just to the south of us, the Golden Eagles, also had a battle royal with a ranked team (Louisville #19). Southern Miss almost pulled it off, losing in the final minutes by a few points. This can’t be very pleasant for fans of the Golden Eagles who have enjoyed almost two decades of winning seasons. The loss dropped them to 0-4 on this one.

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