Sports Look-A-Likes

1. Bret Bielema (HC, Arkansas) and a Badger

2. Chris Bosh (PF, Miami Heat) and a Raptor

3. Pete Carroll (HC, Seahawks) and Owen Wilson (Actor)

4. Terry Francona (Manager, Indians) and Heinrich Himmler (Reichsfuhrer-SS)

5. Brock Huard (ESPN) and a Chihuahua

6. Jarvis Jones (LB, Steelers) and the Predator

7. Heath Ledger (Actor) and Adam Scott (PGA)

8. Helen Hunt (Actress) and Mark Richt (HC, Georgia)

9. Not sure what South Carolina's band was thinking

10. Steve Spurrier (HC, South Carolina) and the Keebler Elf

11. Uncle Rico and Brian VanGorder (LBs, Jets)

12. Shelden Williams (Former Duke PF/C) and a Tortoise

Week 1 Scorecast

Picks	Miss (-3.5) @ Van	Ala (-20) vs. VT	LSU (-4) vs. TCU	UGA (-1.5) @ Clem
Jeremy
Brian
JD
Keppel the Bookie
Guest Picks
Lord McFather
The Bear

Game of the Week: (5) Georgia at (8) Clemson

Jeremy's Who's Doing What

Yesterday, Brian gave you his hopes and predictions for the upcoming season. Today it’s my turn. No idea if we’ll hear from JD. Kickoff is tomorrow y’all. Let’s hope Jadaveon Clowney doesn’t kill anybody…

AAC: Louisville -This watered down version of a watered down Big East just doesn’t have any punch. I think Louisville could contend in the ACC if they had made the move this year, but I know they will win the AAC. Let the Papa John’s flow.

ACC: Clemson – Honestly this is not an easy pick. But I am going to go with Clemson over Florida State because they are the ones starting a senior and FSU is starting a redshirt freshman. Additionally, FSU has to visit Death Valley.

Big 10: Ohio State – I want to pick Michigan but I know better. Despite what people think of Urban Meyer, he knows how to win football games (he just might leave the cupboard bare after doing so) plus that schedule is softer than Louis Andersons back fat.

Big 12: Oklahoma State – Sure, the popular pick is Texas here, but I just have a hunch. Texas could lose a number of early season games that could shake their confidence. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State takes a road trip in September to the University of Texas at San Antonio. Really? They get all of their tough conference games except Texas at home. The Big 12 really is the Wild West so I’m going with an unconventional winner.

Pac 12: Oregon – Everyone thinks the Ducks will take a step back without Chip Kelly this year. You want to know a team that didn’t take a step back when they lost their head coach, Stanford. Stanford lost their #1 draft pick QB too. Oregon did not. Expect them to keep rolling it up in Eugene.

SEC: Georgia – Let the calls of “Bias” come out. The fact is that even when I knew UGA had no chance at winning it all, I picked them to win it all. Now they have a legitimate chance and I’m not backing off. The big game is South Carolina, if they can get over that hump, regardless of what happens against Clemson, then they can make it back to Atlanta. For some reason, I think things will fall the Dawgs way this time even if it means a rematch with the Tide

National Championship: Georgia over Ohio State – No reason to pick against the SEC Champion here. A 1-loss UGA team gets in over an undefeated Louisville team, and rightfully so. UGA will end their season with back-to-back wins over an undefeated Bama team in the SEC Championship and an undefeated Ohio State team in the National Championship. Now only if they can beat Clemson…

Thoughts on the 2013-14 College Football Season

10 Modest Hopes for the CFB Season:

1.  Aaron Murray breaks the SEC passing records.  
Regardless of whether you like Georgia or not, Murray's work ethic and decision to come back to Georgia are respectable qualities.  Of course I am biased, but I wish him the best.

2.  The Traditional 6 SEC Powerhouses regain prominence.  
Sure, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and LSU have upheld their end of the bargains, but Auburn and Tennessee have struggled recently.  Not that it's a bad thing for South Carolina and Texas A&M to be solid teams, but Tennessee and Auburn are top 15 programs of all time.

3.  Lee Corso retires at the end of the season.  
Totally respect what Corso has done throughout his career as an analyst, but he has become a tad senile.

4.  Bill O'Brien continues success with the Penn State Nasty Lions.  
Can you imagine being an alumnus, student, athlete, or fan affiliated with Penn State over the past couple of years? I can't, but was impressed by O'Brien's first year success and dedication to rebuilding Penn State.

5.  Stanford wins the Pac-12.  
Yes, Oregon has been good over the past several years, but they just seem gimmicky to me.  Sure, they can beat teams with less speed, but lose to more physical teams with larger O and D-lines.  Stanford is built to be a legitimate power, playing anyone. 

6.  Lou Holtz chokes on his lisping spit and Mark May is caught stealing eggplant.  
Does anyone truly like Dr. Lou or Mark May? I find Dr. Lou to be overly biased, which is a mockery of journalism and reporting, and Mark May to be arrogant and bitter. Props to Rece Davis, but can we get a new secondary gameday crew?

7.  Dabo Swinney gets kicked in the balls celebrating with his team.  
Did anyone see how Swinney reacted when Clemson beat Auburn back in 2011 (http://youtu.be/B72qHHdCeMY)? Yea, it was a bit much. Should Georgia lose to Clemson, I would find humor watching Swinney jump on a pile of players in celebration, only to have one of the players lift his leg at the wrong time.

8.  There's nowhere in the world that I would rather be...  
Remember this? http://youtu.be/IZ1BO0vAUD8

9.  Speaking of which, I hope the Human Badger fails  
When Bret Bielema's Wisconsin Badgers ran up the score on "powerhouse" Indiana a few years ago, scoring 83 points to gain style points, I quickly gained remorse for Bielema.  Further, the Human Badger stated back in 2012, “We at the Big Ten don’t want to be like the SEC—in any way, shape or form."  He now coaches Arkansas.

The Human Badger

10.  Kansas State gets rid of their creepy mascot 
Need I say anything else?

2013  "Bergies"

MVP: Braxton Miller (Ohio State)

Coach of the Year: Art Briles (Baylor) or Charlie Strong (Louisville)

Scariest Player: Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina)

Most Intimidating Atmosphere: Bryant-Denny Stadium (Alabama)

Best Tailgate: World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (Georgia vs. Florida)

Keep an eye on: Lache Seastrunk (Baylor)

Freshman Phenom: Robert Nkemdiche (Ole Miss)

Conference and National Championship Predictions

AAC: Louisville

ACC: Florida State

Big 10 with 12 Teams: Ohio State

Big 12 with 10 Teams: Texas 

Pac 12: Stanford

SEC: Alabama

National Championship: Alabama over Louisville

Falling Back to 1991

Despite what carols and the Worldwide Leader would have you believe, Christmas is not the most wonderful time of the year. It might be for 7 year olds but sports fans don’t have the same presents to open. Sure the NBA season “officially starts” with their Christmas day games, but we all know the NBA season is by far the most meaningless in sports. If you’re lucky, the Aloha Bowl might kickoff Christmas night but Hawaii is not as fun to watch as it was when June Jones was the coach and Southern Miss has fallen on hard times since Larry Fedora moved to North Carolina.

I learned Fall was the most wonderful time of the year when I was 13 years old. It was 1991 and I was in Athens for a rare night game against a highly ranked Clemson Tiger team. ESPN was set to nationally broadcast the game, which was still a big deal back then because the TV contracts we see now were twenty years away. There was lots of excitement about the game that night, not just because of the potential TV audience, but also because it was not the typical 1:00 PM kickoff. Additionally it had been announced that a freshman by the name of Eric Zeier was going to be the starting QB. On top of all of this, the UGA/Clemson match-ups of the 1980’s were still fresh in many fans minds. The combination of all of these factors made for an electric fall day in the Classic City.

On top of all of that, my dad had sprung for a hotel room at the Holiday Inn in Athens. This was unheard of at the time. Typically, we would drive up from Savannah on the morning of the games and would either drive home after the games or stay at my Aunt’s house in Athens before sneaking out at god-awful early hours on Sunday morning. Now, we could come up on Friday. Enjoy all day Saturday and not have to worry about going anywhere after the game before getting up at the same god-awful early hour on Sunday.

Apart from the magnitude of the football game we were in Athens to attend, the always horrendous Atlanta Braves had captured my imagination by finally being good. They were in the final weekend of their Worst to First season and played a day game that could clinch their first division title in a decade. It was my first memory of a pennant race. All I remember is that my dad and I didn’t believe and every day after the Braves won again, we looked at each other, shook our heads, and talked about how they would find a way to blow it.

They never did. So on that fateful day, if the Braves won and the Dodgers lost, then the lowly Atlanta 9 would complete a remarkable season with a trip to the play-offs. We broke our self-imposed football only rules and watched every pitch that afternoon and the Braves found a way to win again. After the game, the stadium didn’t empty. On the big screen at old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, they broadcast the end of the Dodgers game. The team didn’t leave the field, the fans didn’t leave the stands, and we didn’t leave our TVs. When the Dodgers lost a cheer went up, not only in our hotel room at the Holiday Inn, but across campus. Every person at their tailgates had been watching or listening to the same thing and everyone erupted at the same time. After going to Braves games all my life and never getting anything in return (in the win column, at least), I finally knew what it was like to cheer for a winner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBP-KxewS8k

Under the lights that night, it was magical. The UGA “Blackout” game against Auburn in 2007 was the only other time I remember the stadium being as electric. I had goosebumps. Prior to kickoff, the PA announcer reminded everyone of the Braves success. The band played the Tomahawk Chop theme music and I chopped along with 86,000 others.

In a 3-3 game, late in the 1^st quarter, Clemson had the ball on around their own 35 yard line. They ran a toss to the left and a gaping hole in the UGA defense led what appeared to be an easy long TD run. I could feel my heart sink as the Clemson player dashed toward the endzone. However, a couple of UGA players had not given up on the play. Mike Jones ran down the Clemson running back and stripped him from behind in a play. George Wynn recovered for Georgia and my dad and I went nuts. Georgia went on to win against #6 Clemson 27-12. It was Clemson’s only loss that year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk2cEEiy3oA

As the stadium emptied, I walked with my old man with a big grin on my face. Georgia would go on to have a solid 9-3 campaign. The Braves would go to the World Series and lose in devastating fashion to the Minnesota Twins in a game 7 masterpiece. But at that point in my life I had no idea that Kent Hrbek would pull Ron Gant off of first, that Chuck Knoblauch would deke Lonnie Smith, or that Jack Morris would beat John Smoltz in Game 7. All I knew was that day had been the single greatest sports day of my life. I realized that Fall was special. The thrill of a pennant race combined with newness of football season made for no other time of the year.

My dad and I walked back to the Holiday Inn. Other members of the family, Mark and Lowell, disappeared into the Classic City to celebrate while doing the Tomahawk Chop and screaming that it was “Great to be a Georgia Bulldog.” I’ve looked forward to this time of year more than any other every day since.

JD's Sunday Deuce Points (Here's my number, so call me maybe?)

1. Georgia at Clemson 

"The Talk"

So, I was talking to my wife earlier in the week, and a few of my friends invited me to the Georgia at Clemson game next Saturday, August 31.  It is a huge game. In fact, it is the ESPN College Gameday Game of the Week, and it features #5 vs. #8.

So, I begged my wife to let me get a ticket.  She agreed, fortunately.  Recently, another friend of mine asked me what was my price to give up my ticket to the Georgia at Clemson game?  You see, going to a game is more than just watching football; it is an experience, a time for creating sober memories with friends.

My price for giving up this experience is $1,000.  If you are interested, here's my number (xxx) xxx-4210, so, call me maybe. What's your price?

2. Random Thoughts 

When people get their hair cut, does their hair recede? Or, do their ears lower?

SEC Scheduling and Parity: Can the SEC learn from the NFL?

Currently, the SEC operates under a 6-1-1 scheduling format, meaning that 6 conference games are played against a team's divisional opponents, 1 game against a rotating team from the other division, and 1 game against a rival/tie-in from the other division.

This scheduling format has sparked significant debate, notably since the SEC expanded to 14 teams.  Coaches, such as Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) and Les Miles (LSU) have argued that the current format is not fair due to their conference tie-ins.  South Carolina's tie-in is Texas A&M, while LSU's is Florida.  When creating the tie-ins, the SEC tried to match cross-division opponents based on a combination of rivalry and success. Other notable conference tie-ins include Tennessee-Alabama and Georgia-Auburn.  

From a traditional standpoint, Tennessee-Alabama and Georgia-Auburn make sense. Looking at the all-time AP rankings of NCAA programs, Alabama and Tennessee are the only SEC programs in the top 10, and Georgia and Auburn, in addition to being the "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry," are ranked in the 10-15 range.  However, in recent years, Tennessee and Auburn have struggled, providing Alabama and Georgia with weaker tie-ins than South Carolina and LSU.

Steve Spurrier made the argument that it's not a coincidence that Georgia and Alabama made the SEC Championship last year.  To a large extent, Spurrier makes a sound point.  From his perspective, Georgia avoided Alabama, LSU, and Texas A&M, while South Carolina played LSU and Arkansas (South Carolina’s previous tie-in who was ranked in the top 10 preseason).  I believe he is ultimately arguing for more conference parity, which is reasonable. Sure, Georgia and Alabama were good teams, but their tie-ins were significantly weaker than those of LSU and South Carolina. Steve Spurrier and Les Miles are not alone.  Others have argued that the SEC should abandon the tie-ins all together.

But, as Mark Richt (Georgia) argues, it would destroy longtime rivalries, such as Georgia and Auburn, which have lots of meaning for the players and fans involved.  Richt also noted how the Florida State-Miami-Florida rivalries were abandoned during conference expansions and how important games and traditions were lost.  Further, other rivalries such as Nebraska-Oklahoma or Texas-Texas A&M have been nixed due to conference expansion.  So, why can't the SEC take measures to be the exception and maintain rivalries?

Here's what I suggest. Many may not realize what the NFL does for parity in terms of scheduling.  Did you know that division winners from a given year are required to play the other division winners the following year. That is, since the Atlanta Falcons won the NFC South during the 2012-13 season, they are required to play Washington (NFC East winner), San Francisco (NFC West winner), Green Bay (NFC North winner) during the 2013-2014 season.  This format allows for parity in that past division winners must continue to prove themselves year after year, while other division teams who didn't win benefit from not playing all of the division winners.  This format ultimately helps the NFL product, as there is frequent shuffling at the top of divisions, keeping fans engaged in their team.

So, why can't the SEC adopt a similar format and still keep the conference tie-ins? Let's look at last year as an example.  Alabama won the SEC West and Georgia won the SEC East. Suppose the 6-1-1 format were tweaked where the rotating 1 game required the division winners to play one another.  Thus, for the 2013-14 season, Georgia would play the other 6 SEC East teams, Alabama (SEC West winner), and Auburn (conference tie-in). This would seem to silence Spurrier's and Miles's opposition at least a bit, and maintain the conference tie-ins.

Some may argue this is a scheduling nightmare that has to be addressed every year. But, I argue that if the NFL can do it, why can't the SEC?  For, the SEC is the closest thing to the NFL in college football.

JD's Sunday Deuce Points (Dumps like a Truck, Thighs like what?!?)

1. NFL Preseason 

Cincinnati Bengals

"Pick me, pick me, pick me...ah, man."

These were the words that echoed in my mind the first time I wasn't picked in 1st grade dodge ball.  And, pretty much, this is the story of NFL Training Camp.  If some of you are addicted to HBO's Hard Knocks: Training Camp with NFL Team X, so am I.  This year's series features the Cincinnati Bengals.

Fortunately for all of you, I was on the field for the Bengals' first exhibition between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Atlanta Falcons.

Margus Hunt, a 26 year old DE from Estonia, got some significant playing time in the 2nd half versus the Falcons.  The 6'8" 280-lb Estonian was intimidating to stand next to on the sideline - absolutely huge - he had thighs like what?!?

But, even more impressive was that he had 2 tackles in his first outing. You see, Mr. Hunt is among the players vying for a roster spot on the Bengals.  So, every practice, every preseason game is critical for him. Keep an eye on him because in a few weeks, he and others will be echoing, "pick me, pick, pick me..." hopefully without dumps like a truck.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons acquired Steven Jackson in the off-season. Hopes are high for Jackson, but in the opener, he only had 5 rushes for 8 yards, which was hardly explosive.

Before entering the GA Dome, I did notice the GBI Bomb Squad outside. I was kind of hoping they would have to put Steven Jackson in the bomb disposal, but he wasn't explosive enough. Keep an eye out.

2. Random Thoughts 

My wife and I were replacing the sheets on our King Size mattress today, and I came to the sudden realization that...beds are OUTDATED.

The United States hasn't operated under a Monarchy since 1776, so, why are we still referring to beds as King, Queen, etc.

My proposal: Let's blow this bitch up and start referring to King Size beds as Presidents, Queens as Vice Presidentesses, and Doubles as Speakers of the House.

It's Coming...

It’s almost my favorite time of the year. Don’t lie to yourself, it’s probably your favorite time of the year too. You may think that summertime is your favorite. You go on vacation and find yourself sitting on the beach with a trashy novel, surrounded by surf, sun, and attractive members of the opposite sex. What’s not to like? Or maybe you think spring is your thing. The freezing snow and ice starts to melt away and you surround yourself with luscious greens and colorful blooms. It definitely ranks up there. However, neither spring nor summer are your favorite times of the year and you know it (I’m not going to make an argument against wintertime though as people who claim it is their favorite time of year are obviously only trying to be different for difference sake or have taken one too many pucks to the head. Either way they cannot be convinced to change their mind).

Fall is your favorite time of the year. Just give in and accept it. Summertime is too hot and springtime is filled with pollen. They rank an easy 2^nd and 3^rd on the list. Fall is not without its problems. It’s too short. Normally, summer spills over into September and even most of October.  Then you have like 2 weeks of really nice weather (unless it rains a lot) and then winter smacks you in the face by mid-November. And that’s just here in the South. You poor Yankees don’t even have a fall. And if you do it apparently starts at the end of July. That can be the only explanation for the rash of pumpkin beers that go on sale at the local liquor stores on August 1 ensuring that when Halloween rolls around I will none to drink.

Fall is also when school starts back and parents have to go back to work. Total bummer and I understand that, but you were probably just getting tired of seeing each other all the time anyways. Kids want to see their friends and parents want their kids out of the house. It’s not a bad thing. Embrace it

Fashion-wise, fall is a bust too. All the short shorts and bare skin gets covered back up and replaced with pants and longer sleeves, usually in some unflattering color with orange hues and drabby brown. You also have to put up the flip flops. It takes me a couple of weeks to get used to that. I don’t want to have to wear real shoes but it just sort of happens in the fall.

Fall is certainly not without its problems but it does have one thing that no other time of year can boast: college football. And that’s why it’s my favorite time of the year and if you’d quit lying to yourself you could admit it too. Go ahead. We can treat it like an AA meeting. My name is ____(fill in the blank)___, and I have a problem with college football.

The first step is admitting you have a problem. Telling the world that fall is really your favorite time of year is a great first step.

It doesn’t matter what team you cheer for. College football is upon us. They're all like the Orcs from the Lord of the Rings coming. Leading the way is that huge-ass mountain troll banging on the drum like some sort of demonic drum major from hell and you know they’re just over the hill.

It’s ok.

Let them come. 

Here's something new...

Welcome to Ground. Rule. Huddle. a sports blog for regular sports fans by regular sport fans. Though the name is a meld of a baseball and football terms, the site aims to give perspectives on all sports. The two guys running it are huge SEC football fans, but also enjoy just about any sport under the sun. From baseball to golf to soccer, we’ll try to give you insightful opinions from the sidelines. Ground. Rule. Huddle. is not a news site but a place you can come to read a unique and refreshing spin on things that is hopefully as thoughtful as it is entertaining. If you have any questions feel free to contact us at groundrulehuddle@gmail.com. Enjoy!