Fantasy Update

Welcome to a new feature here at GRH. Fantasy Football has become such a big part of culture, we felt remiss about not having anything directed at Fantasy Fans. So we're trying out this weekly column and who better to bring you great fantasy advice than league runner-up, not once but twice, Jeremy. Admittedly, Jeremy is not the Fantasy guru Matt Berry at ESPN is, so whatever knowledge he gives you is purely based on what happened to his teams over the past weekend. So here goes...

Trending Up - DeMarco Murray - Honestly, I didn't want to draft Murray. He plays for the Cowboys and their inconsistency as a team scared me despite his tremendous talent. Fortunately, they've kept feeding him after 3 fumbles in week one and he has led Dandy Crush (one of my teams) to a convincing win in week 4! Steve Smith Sr. -  The Panthers considered him washed up. I consider him late round gold. While his former teammate beats his wife, he beats his former team! I'd personally like to thank him (if I knew him in person). Way to plot and execute revenge against your former team, sir! Aaron Rodgers - Some said he might be done after last year's injury plagued defense and some sub-par performances early this year. He said relax. I trusted him for 30+ points this week. Tampa is on deck and I see big points from him in the future.

Trending Down - Falcons Defense - In one league I needed to pick a defense up as the Seahawks had a bye. I think, "Hmmmm, the Falcons are playing a team with a first time starting QB and no Adrian Peterson, surely, this will be a good pick-up. Negative 8 points. How the hell do you give up 41to the Vikings. If the Falcons are your every week defense, just give up. New England Defense - Solid first couple of weeks. In my other league, I'm in a dead heat going into Monday night with the Pats D as the only player left on my team. All I need is one lousy point. Way to get -2. Why did I drop the Bills D? Surely they could have got 1 freakin' point. Lesean McCoy - My man Jim unloaded McCoy in his league and it looks like he got a good price. The Eagles offensive line is awful. It's hurting McCoy's status. Of course, they've played some solid run defenses too. I'm holding tight but need something from Shady in the coming weeks.

Weekly Results: 1 (ESPN League) - 1 (Yahoo League)
Overall Results: Dandy Crush 3-1 (ESPN)/Seis Nueve 2-2 (YAHOO!)

Other Fantasy News: Brooklyn Decker still hasn't gotten back to me.

Brain Droppings

CFB is getting ready to take off, especially if you are a fan of team's from the South. This past weekend whet our appetites for what is going to be a huge weekend across the country. This starts Thursday night with Oregon and Arizona. Too bad it kicks at 10:30 Eastern. I'll be out by halftime unless I drag myself out on a Thursday which would've been a lock as an undergrad. Not so much these days. Of course, if I went out, I wouldn't be watching the game anyways. But that doesn't mean it won't be entertaining. Then, just the SEC on Saturday is ridiculous. Texas A&M and Mississippi State is the 12:00 kickoff. Usually this spot is relegated to the lesser of the days games. With Alabama @ Ole Miss and Auburn @ LSU later that day, there wasn't room for it. That's #7 vs #14 in the Coaches poll (I refuse to recognize the AP as they see no fault with FSU at this point). Even South Carolina and Kentucky could be interesting at this point.

1) Studs - Todd Gurley - He's the only reason UGA has only one loss. He'll be the reason they do anything the rest of the year. The offense is completely different with him on the field. He's on pace for a better year than Herschel had in 1982. Think about that for a second. It's not like UGA has played awful teams. An amazing athlete. He's been a privilege to watch. Justin Worley -  The more I watched the UGA/UT game on Saturday, the more I was impressed with this young man. He was the reason Tennessee was in the game. There were times that the UGA defense was in excellent position and he just made a great throw. When he had to sit out three series in the 2nd half, you saw the drop off. The Vols have no back-up QB and the UGA defense ravaged whoever they put out there. Maty Mauk -  No offense for three quarters? No problem. Mauktober began early on Saturday as Missouri rallied late to take down South Carolina and perhaps eliminate them from the SEC East Race. The SEC East is wide open but if Missouri can manage to beat UGA in a couple of weeks, they'll have a great chance to go back to the Dome despite a tough schedule.

2) Thuds - Lead Blowers - NC State and Arkansas had excellent chances to beat two top 5 teams on Saturday. They both let it get away from them. FSU was down 24-7 to the Wolfpack and managed to come back to win by 15. When you have a team down, you have to keep them there, especially one with as much talent as the 'Noles. That being said, there's no way FSU is the best team in the country right now. They sleep walk through every game. However, their schedule doesn't have many pot holes left. A home date against Notre Dame may be the only thing between the 'Noles and the playoffs. As for the Arkansas game, maybe I'm off here, but everyone is talking about how good the SEC West is and I think rightfully so, but I'm beginning to wonder about A&M. They have wins against South Carolina and Arkansas. We're beginning to see that the Gamecocks aren't exactly what we thought they were. They managed to beat Arkansas in OT this weekend which may or may not be a good win. Remember how awful we thought Arkansas was going to be? They hung around against Auburn but were ultimately beat in a similar fashion that Louisiana Tech was by the Tigers this past weekend. They also beat Texas Tech. Does any win against a Big 12 member not named Oklahoma or Baylor count? Arkansas is definitely better than given credit for, but Texas A&M may not be as powerful as we originally thought. Kenny Hill looked mortal. They have a huge road game at Miss State this weekend, but get past that, and they still have Bama, Auburn, Ole Miss, and LSU on the schedule. I've been as high as anyone on A&M but I must admit, I am starting to question their authenticity. If they come away with a win this weekend, I'll be back on the bandwagon.

3) Playoffs - Things are going to get messier before they get better. Regardless, here's my picks:
(1) Oklahoma (2) Alabama (3) Oregon (4) Florida State - Do I think FSU deserves to be in the mix at this point? No. If they go undefeated, will they get in? Yes. Therefore, they're in until they lose. Oklahoma has been the most well rounded team to this point. They get the nod over Bama for two reasons. The first is their win against WVU was on the road whereas Bama's was "neutral site." Second, a more proven QB. Blake Sims looked great against the Gators last week, but he doesn't have the experience Trevor Knight has. Obviously having Amari Cooper and a slew of RBs helps Bama though. Oregon looks like the winner of the PAC-12 for now. UCLA showed signs of life after whipping Arizona State in the desert on Thursday. There's a big showdown between the Bruins and the Ducks on October 11. The question is: If they play again in the PAC-12 Championship game, does it matter?

4) Next Week - Nationally, Stanford will line up against the Notre Dame in an interesting rivalry game. Southern Cal will host Arizona State. But the SEC is the story here. A&M/Miss State, Ole Miss/Bama, LSU/Auburn. Florida and Tennessee are an afterthought. Things are going to start shaking out pretty soon.

5) SEC Power Rankings:
     14) Vanderbilt - Defense Special Teams = 3 TDS; Offense = 2 TDS. Uh oh.
     13) Kentucky - Needed 3 INTs in the 4th against the Commodores to hang on.
     12) Florida - They haven't lost to Tennessee in 9 years. Is Saturday the day?
     11) Tennessee - After the scare they gave UGA, it's tough to put them here.
     10) Arkansas - Improved? Yes. Still not sold they're not the worst team in the West (which isn't horrible by any accounts)
      9) LSU - Did they find a QB last weekend? If so, can their talent flex their muscle?
      8) South Carolina - Finally found some defense but couldn't stop Mizzou when it mattered.
      7) Mizzou - I want to take you seriously, but you lost to Indiana.
      6) UGA - I really want to take you seriously but what is there besides Gurley?
      5) Ole Miss - Will the Real Bo Wallace please stand up? Oh wait, he's just inconsistent.
      4) Mississippi State - Any win in Death Valley is big. But for some reason, I'm waiting on the other show to drop here.
      3) Texas A&M - We can't say that Carolina win was as good as it seemed at this point. Doesn't mean these guys aren't good.
      2) Auburn - Slept walk through LA Tech but still won easy. Will this schedule catch up with them?
      1) Alabama - Florida isn't good but that win was the most complete performance by a team this year. Just hang on to the damn ball.

Week 5 Scorecast and Synopsis

Here are the picks for Week 5. Keep in mind that the panelists' records are based on picks
against the spread.

Synopses:

Jeremy - I continue to stay mediocre but have managed to lead the pack thus far.

1. UCLA @ Arizona State - UCLA, though undefeated, has been a bit of a disappointment so far this year. One week, their offense stinks but the next week it's their defense. Honestly, I don't know much about Arizona State except they're also undefeated and they've beaten a bad Colorado team. But they're playing at home and UCLA's QB is a late week decision to play. I like Arizona State in the upset here.  Arizona State 34-28

2.Missouri @ South Carolina - The SEC East is a mess and neither of these teams gave me a lot of confidence in picking them after last week's game. Sure, Carolina won, but looked pretty porous again against a Vandy team that had shown zero capability in games against Temple and Ole Miss. But Mizzou lost to Indiana at home. Wow. It's not quite Mauktober yet though. I'll go with Carolina at home. South Carolina 34-30 

3. Stanford @ Washington - Washington fell behind Georgia State last week 14-0. Stanford has lost to USC in a game where they played awful This spread seems fishy to me. It seems like Stanford should win going away. I'm going to bite though and take the Cardinal to take care of business. Stanford 28-17

4. Tennessee @ Georgia - The Dawgs got well last week against a pretty awful Troy team while the Vols were able to sit home and rest after their trip to Oklahoma. This is a game that previous UGA teams would struggle with. Tennessee is an improving football team under Butch Jones. I just don't think they're quite ready to win one on the road against a Top 10 team yet. Though they could get Will Muschamp fired next week. Dawgs win but not sure they cover 18. Georgia 38-21


Brian

The spread has not been friendly to my picking lately! I flat out stink. 

1. UCLA @ Arizona State - I really don't know much about either of these teams, other than UCLA has been pretty mediocre thus far. However, I'm not sure ASU has really played anyone. I am going with the home team. Arizona State 31-27

2. Missouri @ South Carolina - Indiana. Really Mizzou? How did you lose that one? Vandy. Really South Carolina? How did you struggle with them? South Carolina regains focus at home and slips by Missouri. South Carolina 21-14

3. Stanford @ Washington - I'm usually a big supporter of Stanford, but I wasn't overly impressed with their implosion against USC. I think Chris Petersen is a solid coach and will have Washington ready to put up a good fight. Stanford wins, but doesn't cover. Stanford 31-28.

4. Tennessee @ Georgia - Georgia will and should win, but -18 points on the spread? Has Vegas not followed this series in recent history? No matter how much better UGA is than UT, they typically find a way to struggle. Georgia 31-24

Trivia Challenge (Week 18)

WEEK 18 TRIVIA QUESTION (9/25)

No Outside Resources. This means you cannot use other people, the internet, or other means to help your answer. E-Mail answers to groundrulehuddle@gmail.com.

Prior to this MLB Postseason, there are 6 players who have hit 18 or more HRs in their postseason career. Name 4 of them. You will receive 2 points for each correct answer and an additional 2 points if you name the player who has hit the most.*

*List may contain players who violated MLB PED use policy. 

Week 17 Scoreboard
Name	Week Score	Cumulative
Bruce*	5	77
Bryan	5	123
Derrick	0	82
Josh*	0	86
Jarred	0	14
Jim	0	5
David*	5	132
*Note: Extra points for Blog Submission

More Thoughts on SEC Scheduling AND Week 4 Poll and SEC Standings

Last August (2013), I wrote a piece on how the SEC can learn from NFL Scheduling. In essence, I argued that the NFL maximizes parity by having division winners from a given year play each other the following year. 

Using this model, due to the fact that some of the cross-divisional locks seem imbalanced (LSU has to play Florida every year, Auburn has to play Georgia, etc), I presented the idea that the SEC should make the teams that appeared in the SEC Championship the previous year play each other the following year. In case you didn't know, the SEC teams operate on a 6-1-1 format. The teams play the 6 teams in their division, 1 cross-divisional lock, and 1 cross-divisional team that rotates. I argued that for teams in the SEC Championship, have their rotated game the following year be against the team they played in the SEC Championship. 

While I think this model is a start, there is possibly an even bigger issue. While I do think Georgia and South Carolina are good teams, there is no doubt the SEC West is significantly better than the SEC East in 2014 (and for several years now). Of course, over time, this trend ebbs and flows, but having Missouri in the SEC East doesn't really make sense either. 

Thus, I propose another idea for the SEC to consider...

Maintaining a rivalry likely represented the main reason the SEC chose to put Missouri in the SEC East. Which rivalry? The Alabama-Tennessee Rivalry. For balance and geographical purposes, it would have made significantly more sense to move Auburn over to the East and bring Missouri into the West. However, that would mean Alabama's lock would be with Auburn instead of its traditional cross-divisional lock with Tennessee, ending a long-time rivalry. Thus, we are left with Missouri, nearly in the Midwest, playing in the SEC East and with less parity. Sure, Missouri was good last year, but Auburn being in the SEC East would undoubtedly create more balance over time. 

Thus, I think the SEC should disband the idea of divisions. Here's where it gets interesting...In order to maintain some of the most important rivalries, move to a 6-2 format (keeping an 8 game conference schedule) but have 2 of the games be rivalry locks and the other 6 games rotate among teams. Based on the most important rivalries and traditional strength of teams, here are the locks I suggest:

Alabama --> Auburn, Tennessee

Arkansas --> LSU, South Carolina

Auburn --> Alabama, Georgia

Florida --> Georgia, LSU

Georgia --> Florida, Auburn

Kentucky --> Missouri, Mississippi State

LSU --> Arkansas, Florida

Mississippi State --> Ole Miss, Kentucky

Missouri --> Texas A&M, Kentucky

Ole Miss --> Mississippi State, Vanderbilt

South Carolina --> Arkansas, Texas A&M

Tennessee --> Alabama, Vanderbilt

Texas A&M --> Missouri, South Carolina

Vanderbilt --> Tennessee, Ole Miss

This format would surely appease those who feel the SEC West teams have a much harder road to Atlanta, while keeping some of the most notable rivalries in tact. As for the SEC Championship, have the Top 2 teams at the end of the year play in Atlanta. If there is a tie at the #2 and #3 spots, then use other measures (Coaches Poll, AP Poll, etc) to determine the tie-break.

And, my initial idea about teams in the conference championship the previous year playing each other the following year could still stand. For example, suppose under the no division system, Alabama finished a season as the #1 seed and Georgia finished as the #2, pitting them against each other in the SEC Championship in 2015. For 2016, Alabama's locks would remain with Auburn and Tennessee, but they would also play Georgia. 

I am sure there are many flaws with my model, but it is an interesting idea to consider...

SEC Standings After Week 4

Florida State came through with a big win in OT against Clemson (without Winston). Here was my poll at the end of Week 2.  I was out of town for Week 3, so, here is my update at the end of Week 4. 

Week 4 Top 10

1. Florida State

2. Oklahoma

3. Auburn

4. Texas A&M

5. Alabama

6. Oregon

7. Baylor

8. Notre Dame

9. Michigan State

10. Georgia

Week 4 SEC Standings

1. Auburn

2. Texas A&M

3. Alabama

4. Georgia

5. South Carolina

6. Mississippi State

7. LSU

8. Ole Miss

9. Arkansas

10. Missouri

11. Florida

12. Tennessee

13. Kentucky

14. Anchor Down. 

Brain Droppings

It was a pretty fun weekend of football. I was able to attend the UGA game and then get in front of a TV to watch the rest of the big match-ups until drifting off to sleep in the middle of the Oregon/Wazzou game. We're 1/4 of the way through the season and things are continuing to shake out. Sunday was also a pretty spectacular NFL day as well. Usually, I'm watching the Falcons with a keen eye on my fantasy team but with the Birds winning on Thursday night I paid attention to a little more of the League. If I can say one thing through 4 weeks of CFB and 3 weeks of NFL, I can say this: If you know what's going to happen next, you're kidding yourself. It's why football has become the most popular sport in the country. There is no way anyone had Cleveland beating the Saints last week and just when everyone thinks Missouri was the team to beat in the SEC East, they lose to Indiana. Craziness.

1) Thuds - Mizzou - The aforementioned Tigers were being touted as the best team in the SEC East with both Carolina and UGA having an early SEC loss. Then they lost to a team that hadn't beaten a ranked opponent since 2006. It could've been a look ahead to an important meeting with the Gamecocks this week, but a good team has to find a way to win that one. BTW, who would've thought that Indiana would have the best win for a BIG 10 team so far this season. Florida's Defense - I don't understand why anyone thought that Florida's offense would be any different. Jeff Driskel had given no indication at any point he was the answer at QB before he got hurt last year. Why would anyone think that would change. However, Florida's defense has always been solid. Not on Saturday. Alabama torched the Gators for a record amount of yards and 42 points. Coach Boom had no answer. If the Tide could hang on to the ball in the first half, this game would've been a blood bath. Well, it was still a blood bath. Clemson - The only team that may be more Georgia than Georgia is Clemson. You've got the ball on the one inch line. Hey, let's go shotgun here. Ok, you don't have a package where the QB gets under center. I'll buy that. Then you get an interception and really only have to run the clock out to win the game with what you would think is a gimme FG (there were actually no gimmes for that kicker). But instead of giving him the chance, you manage to fumble with less than 2 minutes left after gaining a first down in the red zone. But you still have a chance in OT. But you go shotgun again on 4th and 1 and lose a yard. Ouch. It was one thing to get torched by UGA in the opener. It's another thing to have the #1 team in the country beat (in a conference game) and let it get away. Wow. Also, FSU rushed for negative yards until the OT. How good does the UGA rushing attack look now?

2) Studs - Amari Cooper - When Alabama broke my heart as a UGA fan two years ago in the SEC Championship, the person that stood out to me most in that game was Cooper. You could tell how fast he was. Then he had a bit of a Sophomore Slump. Can't say that now. He was a baller in that game against the Gator's D and a lot of it was against what many thought was one of the nation's best corners in Vernon Hargreaves. I'm a homer so I'd still rate Todd Gurley a nose ahead of him as the best player in the SEC and possibly the nation. Nick Foles - Props to my Fantasy QB for taking a nasty cheap shot and then getting back up and leading the Eagles to victory in the NFL. The play resulted in a bench clearing brawl. It appeared Foles was going to have to head into the locker room but cleaning up the fight gave the trainers enough time to help him shake the cobwebs out. Plus, my fantasy team really needed that extra TD. Thank you sir. Dak Precott - The Miss State QB committed to the Bulldogs early and stayed true even when mighty LSU came in with a late offer. His reward thus far had been one victory in the SEC West over anyone not named Ole Miss or Arkansas. Then, on Saturday night, Prescott led the Bizarro Bulldogs to an impressive win in Death Valley leaving a very talented LSU team and their fan base stunned. Things don't get easier for Dan Mullen's crew since they're in the West. In fact, LSU may be 6th best team in the West but wins at night don't come easy when you visit Baton Rouge.

3) Playoffs - Other conferences are making it difficult to keep teams in it. Barring something amazing, the Big 10 is all but eliminated from contention. The ACC was on the brink with FSU on the ropes the other night. My problem with that game was that I know Jameis would've made a difference. I'm just not sure how big that difference would have been. Oregon was perilously close to getting beat by the Pirate Mike Leach and the Washington State Cougars. I still don't think a committee will let two teams into the playoff from one conference but at this point how can you not? If there is a one loss SEC West team and they only get beat by the SEC Champion from the West, how do you leave them out, right now? I'm still sticking to one team from each league but it's getting tougher. (1) Alabama - dominant in a win against the Gators. I'm beginning to question how good A&M's victory over South Carolina is now. The Tide jump the Aggies (2) Oklahoma  - Nice win against a game WVU club. (3) Oregon - Still the best in the PAC-12 (4) Florida State - Hard to leave them out until they lose, which they probably won't

4) Next Week - ESPN's Gameday is going to South Carolina for their match up with Missouri which sounded like a good idea until Indiana beat the Tigers. I'm not sure a loss eliminates South Carolina from East contention quite yet, but it would hurt. UGA needs to handle an improving Tennessee squad to re-establish itself as a contender. Arkansas and A&M match up in a battle of styles. On the west coast, Stanford faces a Washington team that at one point was losing to Georgia State by 2 TDs. UCLA and Arizona State also meet in a an interesting affair. A win puts UCLA back in the conversation. A win for the Sun Devil's starts a conversation.

5) SEC Power Rankings
     14) Vanderbilt - Showed signs of life. Still lost.
     13) Kentucky - Had a chance against the Gators and end up stuck here.
     12) Florida - If they don't have a defense, then they can't win games
     11) Tennessee - A big opportunity against a UGA team that is known to lose a game like this every now and then.
     10) Arkansas - A big game against a top flight opponent. We'll find out soon if the Hogs are really out of the cellar.
      9) LSU - A lot of talent but it looked young most of the night against State
      8) Missouri - Losing to Indiana really hurts the perception of this up and coming team.
      7) Ole Miss - We'll know how real the Rebels are in two weeks against the Tide.
      6) Georgia - I think the Dawgs are even with Carolina but I'll put them here since they got beat by them,
      5) South Carolina - Steve Spurrier doesn't think they're very good and he's the coach. Their defense certainly is not very good.
      4) Mississippi State - Great win for the program but a long way to go.
      3) Auburn - Really shouldn't have beaten K-State but got it done. Much tougher teams looming on a really tough road schedule.
      2) Texas A&M - The Carolina defense they torched in the opener isn't as good as advertised. However, A&M may still be that good.
      1) Alabama - Regaining their throne for now. Very impressive win against the Gators. The problem is: How good are the Gators?

Week 4 Scorecast and Synopsis

Our experts have taking a beating the first three weeks of the season. Only Jeremy and Lord McFather are above .500. They hope to turn it around this week. Brian is out on the road and won't be giving his synopses but his picks are in!

Synopses:

Jeremy

After an amazing week 2, I slipped back down to .500 last week in what was a really tough week to pick. We don't shy away from big games here on GRH but it's obvious Vegas knows what it's doing setting the lines. Hopefully this week will get us back on track...

1. Florida @ Alabama - Happy to see things really start to rev up in the SEC this week. Alabama has played two patsies after a decent win against WVU in the Georgia Dome on opening weekend. Florida has blitzed a horrible Eastern Michigan team and survived against an improved Kentucky Wildcat team. Honestly, that game against the Wildcats was not what I expected but its helped me realize that Alabama is the play here. Jeff Driskell will continue to underperform and while the Florida defense will keep them in it, the Tide pull away late. But 14.5 is half a point too many. Alabama 31-17

2. Auburn @ Kansas State - This is technically a Top 20 match-up but I don't see a lot of value in Kansas State. If you've seen ESPN's promo for this game, the feature "player" for the Wildcats is geriatric coach, Bill Snyder. He's done a great job making football relevant in Manhattan but the Big 12 is a two team league and the Purple and Silver ain't one of those teams. This is Auburn's easiest road game the rest of the way. Think about that for a second. Auburn's offense is too much here. I like them to win on the road tonight by at least two TD's. Auburn 41-27

3. Mississippi State @ LSU - There has been some talk this week about the SEC West is the best division in CFB. Clay Travis said that they may be the best conference as a whole if taken on their own. We'll find that out this week when the Bizarro Bulldogs travel to Death Valley. If the West is all that, this game should be close. LSU has all the talent in the world, but they're all young. Miss State's defense has underperformed against mediocre competition. I think they were looking ahead. Dak Prescott is good enough to keep them in it. LSU gets the win here but I expect it could be similar to the Wisconsin game where they finish the drill late. LSU 24-17

4. Clemson @ Florida State - I'll be honest and let everyone know that I am picking this game on Thursday after the news of the Jameis Winston suspension. Everyone else got their picks in in a timely manner. Florida State has far more talent than the Tigers. I would have picked an easy FSU cover if Jameis played the whole game. But because he's gone for a half, I'll go with Clemson and the pick number. However, if FSU's defense can do to them what UGA did in the 2nd half, I'll be eating my words. FSU 34-20

Brain Droppings

Ultimately, this past weekend was what CFB is all about. On paper, it looked pretty ho-hum with UGA/SCAR being the marquee match-up and the only one where both teams were ranked in the Top 25. Then things started to happen. Starting with Va Tech losing to East Carolina and ending with USC falling to Boston College, the 3rd week of football is in the books and these are the things that are starting to unfold...

1) Thuds - USC and Virginia Tech - What do you do the week after your teams post their best victory in some time? The answer for these two big names was to lay an egg against inferior opponents. Listen, ECU is no slouch. They have an excellent chance at winning 10 games, but Va Tech can't lose to them at home. You want to know the difference between the ACC and SEC? A team ranked 10 spots behind the Hokies in the poll sweated against ECU last week and still won by 10 with their season on the line the following week against UGA. Virginia Tech had just won on the road against a highly regarded (sort of) opponent. Guess Beamer Ball isn't quite back. As for the Trojans, they were coming across the country and were also on let down alert against BC. The Eagles crammed the ball down their throat in a game that wasn't close. People have said the PAC-12 is gaining on the SEC in terms of reputation. If that's the case, then you can't have losses by an upper tier school against a middle tier school like that. Pretty bad form. UGA - It pains me to say this but that thud you heard late in the evening on Saturday were my hopes for a different type of season for the Dawgs. Every championship quality team has a game where they have been outplayed and finds a way to win. Instead, Georgia found a way to lose. It's easy to say a few things about the referees, but let's be honest; the defense was below average and the special teams didn't get the job done. This doesn't mean that the Dawg's season is over but it does mean there is no more room for error. Paul Johnson - Georgia Tech won on Saturday and is technically 3-0 with a huge game against Va Tech on the horizon. So why does Paul Johnson make this list? The Jackets were losing at halftime in game 1 against Wofford. They were outplayed for a lot of the game against Tulane in game 2. And almost blew a 25 point halftime lead in their 3rd game against Georgia Southern. I was speaking with a Tech season ticket holder and he says Johnson is gone regardless of the outcome of the season. Do his players already know that? It's going to be a long year on the Flats if Tech doesn't start playing a little better. I know they're in the watered down ACC, but the teams in that conference are mostly better than the murderer's row of Wofford, Tulane, and Southern. Referees - Questionable calls in the South Carolina/UGA game (on both sides) and the Florida/Kentucky game. I don't blame officials for losses but sometimes they make it difficult. These guys are human and do the best they can but sometimes that leaves question marks and bitter tastes in the average fans mouth.

2) Studs -  South Carolina - This hurts to write even more than that bit about UGA in the thuds section. Carolina's defense is not very good and their schedule does not set up as favorably as UGA's in the future, but they are right where they want to be. Dylan Thompson isn't as good as Connor Shaw but the Gamecocks have 2 solid running backs and some talent at the skill positions. Their offensive line is pretty good as well. The SEC East is wide open but it might've been a two team race between UGA and Missouri had Carolina not pulled it together on Saturday. The SEC West - Outside of LSU defeating Wisconsin and A&M's dismantling of South Carolina, I realize that the SEC West hasn't played a brutal schedule. But the bottom line the record of the entire division is 19-1. The only loss for any team in the division is Arkansas' loss to Auburn. Ole Miss struggled early but beat down a decent Boise team. Arkansas whipped up on a Texas Tech team they would've gotten drilled by last year. Alabama's win over West Virginia was solid, And they've feasted on a bunch of cupcakes. But the SEC West is the best division in college football right now. Oregon - They beat Wyoming over the weekend but that's not why they're here. UCLA is underwhelming right now and USC just got drilled by BC. Who is going to challenge the Ducks in the PAC-12? Stanford may be the best bet, but I think they've taken a step back this year as well. Plus that game is in Autzen this year. Arizona State ain't on the schedule. It looks like the Ducks and the winner of the Oklahoma/Baylor game have the easiest path to the inaugural CFB playoff to me.

3) Playoffs - Speaking of which, the top seeds for the playoff haven't changed for me this week. But the order has. As it sits, I have: (1) Oregon, (2) Oklahoma, (3) Texas A&M, (4) FSU. Things start to heat up though as league play gets going soon. Auburn has a chance to make a statement against Kansas State this week. Oklahoma will travel to WVU which has been better than most people think. FSU will host Clemson. A&M and Oregon should win handily against SMU and Washington State, respectively. Now that team's will start to face some heavier opposition, we'll start to see some things change in these types of predictions across the board.

4) Next Week - I think the Auburn/K-State game should be the marquee match-up this week on Thursday night. However, Bama and Florida could tell us something about both teams. LSU/Miss State also has the potential to be a good one. Outside of the SEC, Miami and Nebraska meet in a game that would've been Marquee in 1991.

5) SEC Power Rankings - Other than the bottom, this is getting difficult. The league has a lot of talent this year and the games thus far haven't separated some of them.
     14) Vanderbilt - Got a win against UMASS. Barely.
     13) Tennessee - Offensive line problems, but vastly improved.
     12) Kentucky - Had Florida beat but came up short.
     11) Arkansas - Very impressive win against a team they would've lost to last year.
     10) Miss State - We'll see how good they are this week against LSU.
      9) Florida - Not sure they're that bad or Kentucky is that improved.
      8) Georgia - Should've won but like UGA always does, found a way not to.
      7) South Carolina - Their defense is shakey but there's still plenty of talent here. Plus the HBC is an X-factor.
      6) Ole Miss - The scary thing is I think this is a really good football team. They just haven't had a win against a really good opponent.
      5) Mizzou - Toledo on the road was ok as was UCF at home. We'll know about the Tigers when they play UGA, SCAR, and Florida in 3 straight games.
      4) Auburn - A win over K-State moves them up.
      3) Alabama - Their win over WVU looks better than it did opening weekend. If they handle the Gators with ease, they'll keep climbing too.
      2) LSU - They've got the best out of conference win thus far. But that doesn't mean they'll stay here all year.
      1) Texas A&M - Their win over SCAR keeps looking better. They better play someone else soon though. Feasting on teams like Lamar and SMU make you forget how impressive they were on opening night.
     

Week 3 Synopsis and Scorecast

Here are the picks for Week 3. Keep in mind that the panelists' records are based on picks
against the spread.

Synopses:

Jeremy

Incredibly fortunate last week. If I were always that lucky, I'd be living the high life. This week's picks are tough!

1. Kentucky @ Florida - Kentucky impressed my by covering against an Ohio team that is usually solid. Florida wanted to flex it's offensive muscle and did so against a completely undermanned Eastern Michigan team. UK hasn't beaten Florida since 1986 and hasn't won in the Swamp since 1979. Tim Tebow is coming home and he's bringing Joe Tessitore with him! Despite UK predictions, the Gators have enough juice to continue the streak. Florida 37-10

2.UCLA @ Texas - I thought UCLA was a solid team out of the PAC-12 but they've been sub-par in their first two outings. The problem is Texas is a dumpster fire. BYU went in to Austin and dressed Bevo in magic underwear on Saturday and the Longhorns couldn't stop it. I have to think UCLA is good enough to do something similar.UCLA 38-13

3. Tennessee @ Oklahoma - The Vols Nation declared UT was back after an opening win against a decent Utah State opponent. I haven't heard as much from them after another good win against a decent Arkansas State team. That might be because they remember what happened last year when they got blitzed by Oregon after winning 2 games. Bob Stoops wants to send a message to SEC folks. This Tennessee team will be tougher to do it on than last year's team but I still think the Sooners cover. Oklahoma 42-20

4. Georgia @ South Carolina - I'm not sure I can express to y'all how nervous I am about this game as a blatant UGA homer. South Carolina has looked porous on defense against two spread teams. The Dawgs are a pro-style team. The Gamecock offense has been alright. Pressure Dylan Thompson and stop Mike Davis and UGA wins this game going away. I just haven't been sold that bill of goods yet. The Dawgs survive but take the HBC and the points. Georgia 31-27

Brian

Let it be noted how bad my picks were last week; so, read at your own risk!

1. Kentucky @ Florida - Florida didn't play a real solid opponent in Eastern Michigan last week, but they didn't lose (cough cough Georgia Southern). No, I don't think Florida's offense will be great this year, but the team as a whole will be a force, given their talent. Florida 38-17

2.UCLA @ Texas - With David Ash out, Texas is reeling right now after getting blown out by BYU. I don't think UCLA is great, but I think they will cover the spread. UCLA 35-14

3. Tennessee @ Oklahoma - I think Butch Jones is the right coach for Tennessee. However, it will take him time to re-build recruiting and get more depth. Tennessee will be a better team this year than last, but I think this game will be too much for them in Norman, OK. Oklahoma 35-10

4. Georgia @ South Carolina -This game is incredibly tough for me to call. There is no doubt, despite the limited sample size, that Georgia has looked significantly better than South Carolina this season. However, I can recall many times in which Georgia looks good in the opening week and then lays an egg against South Carolina, especially at Williams-Brice Stadium. I have faith that Hutson Mason will make enough throws throughout the game to allow the Bulldogs to pull away late. Georgia 27-20

Trivia Challenge (Week 16)

WEEK 16 TRIVIA QUESTION (9/4)

No Outside Resources. This means you cannot use other people, the internet, or other means to help your answer. E-Mail answers to groundrulehuddle@gmail.com.

Listed below are current head college football coaches. Your job is to name the last team they head coached before arriving at their current job (could be college or pro). 

You will receive 1 point for each correct answer, and 5 extra points if you guess all correctly. 

1. Les Miles (LSU)

2. Bobby Petrino (Louisville)

3. Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M)

4. Gus Malzahn (Auburn)

5. Randy Edsall (Maryland)

6. Butch Jones (Tennessee)

Trivia Challenge (Week 17)

WEEK 17 TRIVIA QUESTION (9/11)

No Outside Resources. This means you cannot use other people, the internet, or other means to help your answer. E-Mail answers to groundrulehuddle@gmail.com.

According to PGATour.com, which state has hosted the most PGA Events in 2014 year to date?

You will receive 5 points for the correct answer. 

Leaderboard from Week 16:

Week 16 Scoreboard
Name	Week Score	Cumulative
Bruce*	5	72
Bryan	11	118
Derrick	5	82
Josh*	11	86
Jarred	0	14
Jim	0	5
David*	11	127
*Note: Extra points for Blog Submission

Week 2 Poll and SEC Standings

Yes, USC had a big road win at Stanford, but am I that impressed with the Trojans? Here was my poll at the end of Week 1.  Let's see how things have changed since:

Week 2 Top 10

1. Florida State

2. Auburn

3. Oklahoma

4. Georgia

5. Texas A&M

6. LSU

7. Oregon

8. Alabama

9. Baylor

10. Notre Dame

Week 2 SEC Standings

1. Auburn

2. Georgia

3. Texas A&M

4. LSU

5. Alabama

6. South Carolina

7. Florida

8. Ole Miss

9. Missouri

10. Mississippi State

11. Tennessee

12. Arkansas

13. Kentucky

14. Anchor Down. 

Brain Droppings 9/9/14

When it's football season that tends to be what I concentrate on in the Brain Droppings segment. However, I feel as if I need to comment on the mess that is the Atlanta Hawks right now. In case you haven't heard, the controlling partner of the Hawks, Bruce Levenson, has self-reported a "racially insensitive" email and will sell his portion of the team. The problem is, from a national standpoint, this isn't a story. In fact, Kareem Abdul-Jabar said the comments from Levenson weren't racist. My initial reaction is that Levenson just wants an easy way to explain why he is selling the team. However, racism, while not as blatant here as it was in the Donald Sterling incident, is still a story here. Levenson's email was about the fan experience at Hawks games and ultimately was wondering how to get more people in the seats. Sadly, Atlanta is still a hot bed of race, especially when it comes to sport and though I am unfamiliar with other cities I am sure it is not the only one. One thing I can predict though in terms of getting people in seats is if you put a winner on the floor, people will come. The Hawks have failed to do that and that's ultimately why people don't go to their games.

On to football...

1) Thuds - The Big 10 - Michigan State played a hard fought game which ended with a score not indicating the competitiveness involved, but other than that, the Big 10 flat out sucked. It has made the playoff contention that much easier to predict because there will only be 4 power conferences represented and we can narrow that down to 5 of 6 conferences. Even if the Spartan run the table, who will they have beaten? Ohio State? Michigan? Pretty sad state of affairs up there. Vanderbilt- The web domain www.firederekmason.com was just purchased by a Vandy fan who will start a blog on it. Any chance that blog will merely talk about the good ol' days of 2011-2013. James Franklin has proven you can win at Vandy. Derek Mason better get to figure out the formula before the administration remembers that. It's one thing to lose your first two games as a head coach, it's another to not doing anything of note on either side of the ball in those games. Texas - Under the radar in this part of the country was the Longhorn's annual drubbing by BYU. This game was the reason Charlie Strong was brought into Texas. Granted, he didn't have his starting QB, but the problem is no one else on his team showed up either. Texas A&M has become the gold standard in the state of Texas and all they had to do was join the SEC and hire Kevin Sumlin.

2) Studs - Atlanta Matts - Normally I speak CFB on here, but the display Matt Ryan and Matt Bryant put up on Sunday to lead the Falcons to victory over the Saints was pretty awesome. I pegged the Falcons as an 8-8 team and that doesn't change a whole lot. Their defense is suspect at best and I'm still not sold on their o-line. But they had to beat the Saints on Sunday to wash last year's taste out of their mouth to have any chance of a playoff run. With 450+ yards and two half-ending scoring drives (the first half one in 20 seconds), Matt Ryan reminded us of why he was a number 1 pick and Matt Bryant drilled two 50+ yd FGs at the end of regulation and in OT to give the Birds a huge win. Marcus Mariota - For two and a half quarters it appeared another more physical team would get the best of the Oregon Ducks and this time on their home field. Then this guy turned it on and his team raced to a 19 point win (thanks for the late TD for the cover btw). Coupled with UCLA's tough first two outings, the Ducks are the clear favorite in the PAC-12. Steve Spurrier - As a UGA fan, it's tough to give props to the HBC (especially this week). However, Steve Spurrier cracks me up. He also happens to be probably the 2nd greatest coach in SEC history (sorry Vince). Today, he makes the list because of his answer to a question he fielded at his weekly press conference. The last question involved the Ray Rice incident in the NFL and Coach Spurrier questioned any coach that doesn't have a rule against hitting women for their team (not that they should need a rule but you catch my drift). If you want to hear all of the HBC had to say, check it out here.

3) Playoffs - Still way too early, but my playoff prediction is: (1) Texas A&M (2) Oregon (3) FSU (4) Oklahoma. A&M still has the most impressive win of the young season. I saw a lot of people put Auburn in the playoff from the SEC, but wins against Arkansas and San Jose State don't convince me. This is about who you beat as much as it is about how often you win. Oregon moves to #2 after beating what is a good Michigan State team. The problem is I don't know how good they are because they compete in the watered down Big 10. FSU has struggled early but has a good win against Oklahoma State and a yawner against The Citadel. Oklahoma and Baylor will be playing for the Big 12 when they meet on the field later this year. Baylor's QB is hurt so the Sooner's get the nod. If UGA can get the win against Carolina this week, they jump into the mix for sure.

4) Next Week - UGA and Carolina are the big game next week. The winner takes the inside track to the SEC East crown. Don't count the Gators out as their offense showed up in a game against Eastern Michigan. They play against perennial SEC doormat Kentucky this week. Not a lot on the line nationally. USC will follow their big win against Stanford with a trip across country to play BC in a game that might have mattered 15 years ago. Other than that, it's another early season yawner. However, that's when I've noticed things seem to happen.

5) SEC Power Rankings
     14) Vandy - Awful. That's it.
     13) Arkansas - You beat Nicholls State. Congrats.
     12) Kentucky - Not a bad win against a usually competitive Ohio team. We'll see what they got against the Gators this week.
     11) Miss State - Beat UAB but defense looked shakey.
     10) South Carolina - This is low, but their defense is still struggling. Don't think they can't beat UGA this week though. Plenty of talent.
      9) Tennessee - Arkansas State is no slouch but UT slides back to the middle of the pack.
      8) Florida - Big win but against a team they should win big against.
      7) Mizzou - Impressive easy win in the Glass Bowl against a Toledo team that could've given them trouble.
      6) Ole Miss - Vandy is bad and the Rebels did exactly what you need to do against a bad team. Their D is legit too.
     5) Alabama - Did what you are supposed to against inferior opponents.
     4) Auburn - They have a ton of talent. Let's see how that talent looks against a real team.
     3) LSU - Sam Houston State doesn't tell me much except Leonard Fournette is an idiot.
     2) UGA - A bye before Carolina: Does it help or does it hurt having everyone tell you how great you are?
     1) Texas A&M - This week's awful slate of games and they retain the heavyweight ranking after beating some guy named Lamar.

Week 2 Scorecast and Synopsis

Here are the picks for Week 2. Keep in mind that the panelists' records are based on picks
against the spread.

Synopses:

Jeremy

1. USC @ Stanford - Stanford is the team no one remembers is really good in the PAC-12. USC is the team everyone thinks should be really good in the PAC-12. SC made a nice hire in Steve Sarkisian after the Lane Kiffin debacle. This is a statement game for them trying to declare their reemergence in conference. USC is catching 3 here but I say they win straight up. USC 28-24

2.Michigan @ Notre Dame - This game seems to be flying under the radar for a pretty big game against traditional rivals. Both teams had big wins in week one against minimal competition. I think Everett Golson's return to Notre Dame is the difference here. Brady Hoke will have the Wolverines ready but the Irish pull away late. Notre Dame 28-20 

3. Virginia Tech @ Ohio State - The Buckeyes struggled to put Navy away last week. Virginia Tech put away William and Mary easily. It seems the Buckeyes are still finding their way without Braxton Miller. Virginia Tech is still known for its defense. This will allow Virginia Tech to hang around and while the Buckeyes pull it out at home they don't get the cover. Ohio State 27-17

4. Michigan State @ Oregon - This is the marquee game of the weekend. I'm a big fan of Michigan State and I think they will win the Big 10. However, I think they're walking into a hornets nest here. Oregon is talented and playing at home where Autzen Stadium supposedly gets as loud as any stadium in the south with only 60,000 capacity. I'm taking Oregon to cover. Oregon 34-20


Brian

1. USC @ Stanford - Steve Sarkisian hasn't proven anything to me yet at Washington and certainly not at USC after 1 game. However, David Shaw has kept Stanford consistently at the top of the PAC-12 since Harbaugh's departure. With the game at Stanford, I'm definitely picking Stanford. Stanford 31-20

2.Michigan @ Notre Dame - I honestly don't know a ton about either team at this point. I think they are both mediocre, but given Everett Golson's return to the Irish this year and the game being in South Bend, I like Notre Dame to win. Notre Dame 21-14

3. Virginia Tech @ Ohio State - I'm not ready to panic on Ohio State yet. Urban Meyer is a great coach. Yes, the Buckeyes struggled against Navy last week, but it was the first game of the year and right after Braxton Miller's injury. I expect the Buckeyes to settle down and cover the spread. Ohio State 35-21

4. Michigan State @ Oregon -I really, really want to pick Michigan State to win straight up. They keep surprising doubters in big games. Further, I have always thought Oregon is highly overrated. Sure, they have a great offense, but anytime they play a more physical team with a defense, they struggle or lose. Being at Autzen Stadium, I will stick with Oregon winning, but not by much. Oregon 24-21