Johnny Fayetteville's Bowl Picks

Wake Forest (-3) over Navy
Fresno State (-2.5) over Colorado State
Memphis (+12.5) over South Florida
Arizona (-3) over BYU
Troy (-4) over Southern Miss
TCU (-2.5) over Boise State
Hawaii (-1.5) over Notre Dame
C. Michigan (-7) over FAU
UNC (Pick'em) over West Virginia
Florida State (-5) over Wisconsin
Cal (-7.5) over Miami
La. Tech (+1.5) over N. Illinois
N.C. State (+7) over Rutgers
Missouri (-12.5) over Northwestern
Maryland (+1.5) over Nevada
Rice (-3) over W. Michigan
Oklahoma State (-3) over Oregon
Houston (-2.5) over Air Force
Pitt (+3) over Oregon State
Boston College (-3.5) over Vanderbilt
Kansas (-10) over Minnesota
Georgia Tech (-4) over LSU
Iowa (-3.5) over South Carolina
Georgia (-7.5) over Michigan State
Nebraska (+2.5) over Clemson
USC (-10) over Penn State
Virginia Tech (+2) over Cincinnati
Texas Tech (-5) over Ole Miss
Kentucky (+1.5) over E. Carolina
Alabama (-10) over Utah
Buffalo (+4.5) over UConn
Texas (-9) over Ohio State
Tulsa (+2.5) over Ball State
Oklahoma (+3) over Florida

Jimmy G's Bowl Picks

Wake Forest (-3) over Navy
Fresno State (-2.5) over Colorado State
South Florida (-12.5) over Memphis
BYU (+3) over Arizona
Troy (-4) over Southern Miss
Boise State (+2.5) over TCU
Notre Dame (+1.5) over Hawaii
C. Michigan (-7) over FAU
West Virginia (Pick'em) over UNC
Florida State (-5) over Wisconsin
Miami (+7.5) over Cal
La. Tech (+1.5) over N. Illinois
Rutgers (-7) over N.C. State
Northwestern (+12.5) over Missouri
Maryland (+1.5) over Nevada
Rice (-3) over W. Michigan
Oregon (+3) over OK State
Houston (-2.5) over Air Force
Pitt (+3) over Oregon State
Boston College (-3.5) over Vanderbilt
Kansas (-10) over Minnesota
LSU (+4) over Georgia Tech
South Carolina (+3.5) over Iowa
Georgia (-7.5) over Michigan State
Clemson (-2.5) over Nebraska
Penn State (+10) over USC
Va. Tech (+2.5) over Cincinnati
Texas Tech (-5) over Ole Miss
East Carolina (-1.5) over Kentucky
Alabama (-10) over Utah
UConn (-4.5) over Buffalo
Ohio State (+9) over Texas
Tulsa (+2.5) over Ball State
Oklahoma (+3) over Florida

Tom Logan's Bowl Picks

Wake Forest (-3) over Navy
Colorado State (+2.5) over Fresno State
South Florida (-12.5) over Memphis
BYU (+3) over Arizona
Troy (-4) over Southern Miss
TCU (-2.5) over Boise State
Hawaii (-1.5) over Notre Dame
FAU (+7) over C. Michigan
West Virginia (Pick'em) over UNC
Wisconsin (+5) over Florida State
Miami (+7.5) over Cal
La. Tech (+1.5) over N. Illinois
N.C. State (+7) over Rutgers
Missouri (-12.5) over Northwestern
Maryland (+1.5) over Nevada
Rice (-3) over W. Michigan
OK State (-3) over Oregon
Air Force (+2.5) over Houston
Oregon St. (-3) over Pitt
Boston College (-3.5) over Vanderbilt
Kansas (-10) over Minnesota
LSU (+4) over Georgia Tech
Iowa (-3.5) over South Carolina
Georgia (-7.5) over Michigan State
Nebraska (+2.5) over Clemson
USC (-10) over Penn State
Va. Tech (+2) over Cincinnati
Texas Tech (-5) over Ole Miss
Kentucky (+1.5) over East Carolina
Alabama (-10) over Utah
Buffalo (+4.5) over UConn
Ohio State (+9) over Texas
Tulsa (+2.5) over Ball State
Florida (-3) over Oklahoma

Patrick Williams' Bowl Picks

Navy (+3) over Wake Forest
Colorado St. (+2.5) over Fresno State
South Florida (-12.5) over Memphis
BYU (+3) over Arizona
Troy (-4) over Southern Miss
Boise State (+2.5) over TCU
Hawaii (-1.5) over Notre Dame
FAU (+7) over Central Michigan
UNC (Pick'em) over West Virginia
Florida State (-5) over Wisconsin
Cal (-7.5) over Miami
La. Tech (+1.5) over N. Illinois
Rutgers (-7) over N.C. State
Missouri (-12.5) over Northwestern
Nevada (-1.5) over Maryland
W. Michigan (+3) over Rice
Oregon (+3) over OK State
Houston (-2.5) over Air Force
Oregon St. (-3) over Pitt
Boston College (-3.5) over Vanderbilt
Kansas (-10) over Minnesota
LSU (+4) over Georgia Tech
Iowa (-3.5) over South Carolina
Georgia (-7.5) over Michigan St.
Nebraska (+2.5) over Clemson
USC (-10) over Penn State
Va. Tech (+2) over Cincinnati
Texas Tech (-5) over Ole Miss
East Carolina (-1.5) over Kentucky
Alabama (-10) over Utah
Buffalo (+4.5) over UConn
Texas (-9) over Ohio State
Tulsa (+2.5) over Ball State
Oklahoma (+3) over Florida

SEC Bowl Look

The SEC Championship Game is the only game left in the 2008 SEC football season, so it is time to take a guess at where the eligible SEC schools will be spending their holidays. Unfortunately, Arkansas will not be participating in a bowl nor will usual bowl attendees, Tennessee and Auburn. Mississippi State is also sitting out bowl season and looking for Sly Croom's replacement. However, Vanderbilt returns to a bowl game for the first time since 1982. Here is a look at where the SEC schools may end up when the bowl selections are announced on Sunday (Razorpod is always happy to use corporate titles when listing the bowl games):

FedEx BCS Championship Game: Florida/Alabama Winner
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Florida/Alabama Loser
Capital One Bowl: Georgia
Outback Bowl: South Carolina
AT&T Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss
Chick-fil-A Bowl: LSU
Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl: Kentucky
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Vanderbilt

Kentucky has played in the last two Music City Bowls, but Vanderbilt will presumably want to travel somewhere for their first bowl game in 26 years. The PetroSun Independence Bowl will have to look elsewhere for their SEC slot as there are not enough SEC teams eligible for all of the SEC's tie-ins.

National Picks

This is the final week of the college football season, and the Razorpod National Picks contest is coming to an end. Tom Logan leads Patrick Williams by three games, and PW has rigged his picks in a vain effort to catch Mr. Logan.

On behalf of the entire Razorpod crew (except Patrick Williams), I apologize for there being no show this week. The crew was gathered at Studio Jimmy G, a mere three blocks from historic War Memorial Stadium, last night at 8:30 when our intrepid host informed us that the show would be cancelled. As a consolation prize I have attached a pic of Rachel Bilson for your viewing pleasure. The picks:

PW (52-32): Navy, UCLA, Boston College, Missouri, Alabama, Washington
JF (49-35): Navy, USC, Boston College, Oklahoma, Florida, Arkansas State
BT (49-35): Navy, USC, Boston College, Oklahoma, Alabama, Buffalo
TL (55-29): Navy, USC, Boston College, Oklahoma, Florida, Pittsburgh
JG (36-48): Army, USC, Boston College, Oklahoma, Florida, Hawaii

National Picks

The crew's picks minus Tom Logan. Guest expert Elisha Cuthbert is filling in for Mr. Logan.

PW (48-30): Alabama, Florida, Oregon State, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Georgia Tech
JF (46-32): Alabama, Florida, Oregon State, Oklahoma, LSU, South Carolina
BT (44-34): Alabama, Florida, Oregon, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Duke
JG (33-45): Auburn, Florida, Oregon State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi State

More Trophy Madness

ESPN breaks down the Big Ten trophy games that take place this Saturday.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?page=rivalryweek/bigtentrophygames

National Picks

This week's picks:

PW (44-28): Iowa, LSU, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Mississippi State, Oregon State
JF (42-30): Iowa, Ole Miss, Penn State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Iowa State
BT (42-30): Minnesota, LSU, Penn State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Wyoming
TL (46-26): Iowa, LSU, Penn State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Northwestern
JG (30-42): Minnesota, LSU, Penn State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Washington State

This Week on Know Your Big 10 Trophies: Sweet Sioux Tomahawk

Tom Logan's sleeper pick this week-the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk game.

There's nothing better than a mediocre Big10 game for a trophy. That's exactly what we have when the Fightin' Ron Zookers (5-6) take on the semi-resurgent Northwestern Wildcats (8-3) on Saturday.

Actually, Northwestern has quietly put together a very nice season, sitting at 4-3 in conference and 8-3 overall. They are tied for 4th place in the Big10 with Iowa, and won the head to head matchup between those two teams in Iowa City earlier this year. Northwestern is headed for a warm-weather bowl, its just a question of which one. Depending on how everything shakes out over the next two weeks, NW could be headed to Florida for the Outback or Champs Sports Bowls. The big issue for bowl placement is whether the Big 10 gets 2 teams into the BCS.

On the other side of the coin, Illinois has been one of the conference's biggest disappointments coming off its Rose Bowl season last year. The team hasn't been able to recapture its magic from the run last year, and there are whispers in Urbana-Champaign that the Zooker may have maxed out last year.

Somehow, Illinois is favored in this game. Go figure. Logan's money's on the Cats...so we'll be rooting for the Illini. Go Zook.

New Show Posted

Know your SEC Trophy Games. Say wha????

Ok, last night on Razorpod we were clowning about having a trophy for the Miss. State-Arkansas game. Johnny Fayetteville suggested the "Hefty Sack of Claw Hammers." Good start, but we want some listener input as well. Send your thoughts to razorpod@sbcglobal.net.

Hot on the heels of last night's show, we ran across this interesting tidbit

on the internets. Seems like the student governments at Ole Miss and LSU have decided to call their matchup "The Magnolia Bowl" this year and into the future.

As we all know, you can't have a trophy game without the trophy. Behold the Magnolia Blossom:

This trophy was actually approved by Ole Miss and LSU administrations

Here's the question that should be on everyone's mind. This game is ALREADY A HUGE RIVALRY. Why do you need a trophy??? One that started in 2008? At least The Golden Boot was started because Arkansas was new to the SEC and wanted to create a rivalry.

Spotlight on A Sleeper Game-Meet Paul Bunyan's Axe

*Adapted from the University of Minnesota Athetics Site [commentary in red by Razorpod]*

The Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry is one of the most prestigious and anticipated series in the history of athletics. [ok, a bit of hyperbole there....just a bit] It’s the most-played rivalry in college football history [really??? Someone call the Elias Sports Bureau on that], and the annual winner takes home Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

At 117 games and counting, the series between Minnesota and Wisconsin ranks as the longest in Division 1-A football; and "Paul Bunyan’s Axe" has the history of one of college football’s fiercest rivalries emblazoned on its six-foot long handle. The first game in the series, a 63-0 Gopher victory in 1890, is printed on the handle near the axe’s head. The results of every successive game line the handle in red ink. There have been so many games that the scores scroll up and down the width of both sides of the handle, and school officials have now resorted to writing scores on the narrow edges of the six-foot shaft. By 1930, "Paul Bunyan’s Axe" wasn’t even created, although the rivalry had already reached feverish levels. The 1906 game was canceled by President Theodore Roosevelt, who had decided to cool off heated college football rivalries, because of injuries and deaths on the field. [That's TR for you, a cool headed guy if there ever was one...sheesh.] In 1914, Minnesota faced the Badgers for the Gophers’ first Homecoming game; likewise, Wisconsin hosted Minnesota for the Badgers’ first in 1919. Between the years 1923 and 1925, the teams battled to three straight ties. To symbolically capture the amazing atmosphere of the annual match-up, Dr. R.B. Fouch of Minneapolis fashioned a bacon slab out of black walnut to serve as the traveling trophy that he hoped would compare to the well-known "Little Brown Jug," which Minnesota and Michigan played for every year. The "Slab of Bacon," first played for in 1930, had a football carved on top inscribed with an "M" or "W", depending on how you held it. The idea was that the winning team would "bring home the bacon." [Oh, how I wish the "Slab of Bacon" still existed. Best. Trophy. Ever.] But in the early ’40s, the Slab of Bacon became the "Missing Slab of Bacon." Peg Watrous, who was the president of Wisconsin women students at the time, relates that she and her counterpart from Minnesota were to have a symbolic exchange after the game, whereby the trophy would be awarded to the winning team. Minnesota won, but in characteristic fashion, a postgame melee broke out on the field, with students and spectators running crazy over the field. Watrous couldn’t find her counterpart, and was left "holding the bacon," as it were. "I have no memory of what happened after that…The whole thing was a dud, as I feared it would be," Watrous remembered good-humoredly, "and someone in charge probably hid the bacon." But the two teams had to play for something [Big 10 bylaws apparently require it], so in 1948 the Wisconsin W Club instituted "Paul Bunyan’s Axe" as a trophy more befitting the grand rivalry between the two schools. The annual battles have survived so long that in the ’60s the teams started to print the games’ final scores smaller and smaller, scrunching the letters in order to avoid reaching the end of the axe’s shaft. [Will there ever be a replacement axe? Blasphemy!] But the series continued to roll, and the last game to be painted on the broad face of the handle was in 1980. The 25 subsequent games appear on the narrow side of the handle. The Slab of Bacon was back in the news in the summer of 1994, when the long-lost trophy was found after a Camp Randall Stadium storage room was cleaned out. Wisconsin officials estimated that it had been missing since 1945; yet the scores of every Wisconsin-Minnesota game from 1930-70 were printed on the back of the slab. It is one of those Twilight Zone-esque [Twilight Zone-esque? Is the only way to explain the missing Slab of Bacon to resort to the supernatural?] mysteries that remains unexplained, and contributes to the legend of Minnesota’s and Wisconsin’s "Border Battle" rivalry.

National Picks

The crew's national picks for this weekend's games:

PW - Miami, Maryland, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Minnesota
JF - Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Boston College
BT - Miami, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Washington
TL - Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Duke
JG - Miami, North Carolina, Texas, Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State

Season Standings:
1. Tom Logan 43-23
2. Patrick Williams 39-27
3. Johnny Fayetteville 38-28
Buford Tannen 38-28
5. Jimmy G 27-39

The Anatomy of a Backup Team

This time of year, as bowl hopes and dreams are made or destroyed, let's turn to a topic I think most college football fans can identify with. This is the concept of having a 'backup team' to root for when all hope is lost for your main, or primary, rooting interest.


I think most true college football fans-those of us who appreciate and love the sport as a whole-also have a backup or secondary team that they pull for. This is a team that you want to see win whenever possible. There's a ton of teams in college football, and its fun to have a rooting interest in more than one team on a particular college football Saturday.

Therefore, in honor of Iowa's victory of Penn State this past weekend, here are Patrick Williams' proposed rules for true backup teams:

1. It cannot be a team in the same conference as your primary team. You can't put yourself in the position to be compromised once a year when your primary and secondary teams play. Just don't do it.

2. You must have some connection with the backup team. Acceptable connections are:

(a) The pseudo-Alma Mater Rule. You personally attended that institution for some length of time (need not be a graduate). See e.g., JimmyG and Oklahoma.


(b) the Family Alma Mater Rule. An immediate family member (mother, father, sibling, child) is a graduate. Nothing more extended is allowed. See, e.g., Tom Logan and Florida, but also see violation of same conference as primary team rule.

(c) The Alma Mater state. Your backup school is the main (or one of the main) D-IA schools in the state in which you were born/currently reside. See, e.g., Patrick Williams and Iowa.

(d) The Game Attendance Rule (questionable). You attended, in person, a non-bowl game upon the campus of the backup institution and had a fan-frickin'-tastic time. This must be proven by written testimony and cool pictures, preferably supported by blood alcohol level reports taken at or immediately after gametime.

(e) The Hate Rule (also questionable). Your backup school may be the main rival of a school you hate.



3. Other connections will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but the following are NEVER acceptable under any circumstances:

(a) backup team based upon coolness of uniform;

(b) backup team based upon how good/awesome/buttkicking they have been historically or recently;

(c) backup team based upon coaching personality. Coaches change, now more than ever. Where will you be when your coach leaves for a better job or is canned?



If you have listened to Razorpod, you'll know some of our backup teams. These are pretty clear:

JimmyG=Oklahoma
Patrick Williams=Iowa
Tom Logan=Florida, but also see violation of the "team in same conference" rule
Johnny Fayetteville=???? Potentially T-Tech under 2.b. above
Buford Tannen=Notre Dame, but not sure if it qualifies under any of the rules above.



Guest Analysts:
Uncle Rico=????
Born Red=Arkansas, under the current resident rule (primary team=Nebraska)

Stat Boy=Tennessee, clear violation of same conference rule.


Give us your thoughts...something to pass the time during the off week!

Oh, and before I forget, suck it, PSU!

New Show Posted-Off Week Commentary

This week's show was done and posted early to allow for the work schedules of Buford and Tom Logan. Unfortunately, Johnny Fayetteville was not available for the early recording. Listen here.

Suffice to say, in the annals of Razorpod, there has never been a more cockeyed, disjointed, and generally poor show. The general disarray of the show completely reflects the Razorbacks 34-21 loss to South Carolina last Saturday. Anyway, we discuss Casey Dick's subpar performance, and all possible replacements: Nathan Dick, Alex Mortensen, Tyler Wilson, Ryan Mallett, Reggie Fish (not really)). Did Casey really have a concussion or is that a convenient excuse for Coach Petrino's yanking him out of the game in the 4th quarter in favor of his brother???

The most coherent discussion of the show is whether Willy Robinson will be back next year. Odds are no, according to the crew.

The national picks are a disaster. The games are bad, the picks are worse. When the sleeper games are the highlight of the show, you know things are bad. The stock market has nothing on Razorpod--Downward HO!

Your listener emails blasting us are completely justified. Bring the pain!

This week's show

Technical difficulties and newly-reenergized corporate firewalls (Die, Cisco, Die!) delayed this week's show, but its finally up and available heah. Welcome the full crew back to Studio JimmyG in a raucous reunion. Tulsa victory is discussed, dissected, and vomited back at Gus Malzahn. South Carolina game is analyzed, and the crew almost unanimously picks...Arkansas??? Wha???

Oh, and we have a huge BCS fight, coaching carousel talk, and everything else you've grown to love/hate/despise about Razorpod. Enjoy.

BCS - November 5

The BCS outlook is much different this week after Texas Tech's victory over previously unbeaten and No. 1 ranked Texas. Texas Tech is now ranked second in the BCS with Alabama moving up to the top spot. If the season ended today, here are the most likely match-ups:

BCS National Championship Game: Texas Tech vs. Alabama
Orange Bowl: Maryland vs. West Virginia
Rose Bowl: Oregon State vs. Penn State
Sugar Bowl: USC vs. Florida
Fiesta Bowl: Utah vs. Texas

Remember, Oregon State holds the tie-breaker in the Pac-10 over USC at the moment.

Here what Razorpod predicts the BCS match-ups will be at the end of the season:

BCS National Championship Game: Florida vs. Penn State
Orange Bowl: Florida State vs. West Virginia
Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. USC
Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Alabama
Fiesta Bowl: Boise State vs. Texas

Studio Re-Opens

Lefty's excited! Are you? After a five week hiatus, the Studio is open for business on the second Saturday of November. The feature game is obviously the Hogs at South Carolina. Kickoff is set for high noon, and the game will be televised by ESPN Gameplan. The rest of the Saturday schedule is also ripe with great match-ups. Adult beverages will be the order of the day as we celebrate a return to the greatest private college football viewing scene in Hillcrest.

11:00 a.m. - Michigan at Minnesota (ESPN), Ohio State at Northwestern (ESPN2), Rutgers at Syracuse (ESPNU), Baylor at Texas (FSN), Wisconsin at Indiana (BTN), Purdue at Michigan State (BTN)

2:30 p.m. - Alabama at LSU (CBS), Penn State at Iowa (ABC), Oklahoma at Texas A&M (ABC), Clemson at Florida State (ABC), Stanford at Oregon (FSN), Virginia at Wake Forest (ESPNU)

7:00 p.m. - Oklahoma State at Texas Tech (ABC), California at USC (ABC), Notre Dame at Boston College (ESPN), Florida at Vanderbilt (ESPN2)

Fulmer Out

Goodbye old friend. Tennessee head coach, Phil Fulmer, is out at the end of the season. His record over 17 years is 150-51 with 1 National Title, 2 SEC Titles, 5 SEC Championship Game appearances, and 15 bowl games (8-7 record). The man who begat the fat coaches fraternity will be put out to pasture by the Tennessee administration. Cheap jokes are readily available about what Fulmer will do with his newfound free time, but they will not be published on this esteemed blog. We wish our good friends from Tennessee nothing but the best in their coaching search, and it is with a tear in our eye that we gaze upon Fulmer one last time in his orange couture.

Cocktail Party

Who doesn't love a cocktail party? Certainly, Adele Silver does. She'll be on hand (well, maybe not, but there's a chance) along with 100,000 drunken louts from Florida and Georgia for this weekend's Cocktail-Not-A-Cocktail Party in Jacksonville, FL.

The most anticipated game in the rivalry's storied history is two days away. The Razorpod Crew provided its take on the game, and our intrepid reporter, Tom Logan, will be on the scene.

Florida will try to exact revenge for the the "Gator Stomp" that the Georgia players performed in last year's game. The Gators offense is finally showing its full potential after two impressive outings against LSU and Kentucky, and the Gator D has enough up front to cause problems for a banged up Georgia O-Line and Matthew Stafford. Tim Tebow is beginning to get his name back in the Heisman conversation, and a big day against UGA might put him at the top of the list depending on what happens in Lubbock on Saturday night.

However, Georgia is playing its best football of the season. The Dawgs could pull this out if Knowshon Moreno goes over 100 yards, and the defense forces Tebow into a couple of rare turnovers. Georgia's injuries were a big factor in their sluggish start, but it appears they have gotten past that with new players stepping into their roles quite nicely.

This game will be an intense one with the refs likely to call some personal fouls early to try and keep control of the game and emotions in check. Florida appears to be the more stable of the two teams, and that will be the difference in a thrilling game. Florida 38 Georgia 31.

Who doesn't love a Cocktail Party? Oh, sorry, Smokey.

BCS

The final BCS Standings will be released in 38 days. Craziness may ensue and render any early projections mute, or just possibly, the 2008 college football season may go according to form - at least, mid-season form. Here's a look at the what the BCS games might look like if the season ended today.

BCS National Championship Game: Alabama (SEC) vs. Texas (Big XII)
Rose Bowl: USC (Pac-10) vs. Penn State (Big Ten)
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma (Big XII) vs. Ohio State (Big Ten)
Sugar Bowl: Florida (SEC) vs. Utah (Mountain West)
Orange Bowl: Florida State (ACC) vs. West Virginia (Big East)

Note: This is not a projection. It's what would be the most likely scenario if the season ended today.

Projection:
BCS National Championship Game: Florida (SEC) vs. Penn State (Big Ten)
Fiesta Bowl: Boise State (WAC) vs. Texas (Big XII)
Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma (Big XII) vs. Alabama (SEC)
Orange Bowl: Florida State (ACC) vs. West Virginia (Big East)
Rose Bowl: Ohio State (Big Ten) vs. USC (Pac-10)

National Picks

The crew's national picks for the games this Saturday:

PW (31-23) - OU, Cal, T-Tech, Florida, Tulsa, Iowa
JF (32-22) - OU, Cal, T-Tech, Georgia, Tulsa, Duke
BT (34-20) - OU, Cal, Texas, Georgia, Tulsa, Auburn
TL (35-19) - OU, Cal, T-Tech, Florida, Tulsa, UConn
JG (22-32) - OU, Oregon, Texas, Florida, Arkansas, New Mexico State

National Picks

It's Houston Nutt Week here in Arkansas, and the Razorpod crew gives him a cold reception in the national picks with the obvious exception of long-time Nutt loyalist, Johnny Fayetteville.

PW - Texas Tech, Penn State, Texas, LSU, Arkansas, Michigan
JF - Texas Tech, Penn State, Texas, Georgia, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech
BT - Kansas, Penn State, Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, Rice
TL - Texas Tech, Ohio State, Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, Auburn
JG - Kansas, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee

National Picks

Razorpod pays special tribute to Sylvester Croom this week. Why? Because he's awesome.

Jimmy G is on location at SEC Media Days. Of course, SEC Media Days happened 3 months ago, but he just got around to it. The publisher of Razorpod is grateful.

Here are this week's national picks:

JG - KY, TCU, Mich. St., LSU, Mizzou, Wisconsin
BT - Hogs, BYU, Mich. St., LSU, Texas, Ark. State
JF - Hogs, BYU, Mich. St., S. Carolina, Texas, Kansas St.
TL - Hogs, BYU, Ohio St., LSU, Texas, Miss. State(!)
PW - KY, TCU, Mich. St., LSU, Texas, Virginia

National Picks

The crew sincerely hopes that Buford cannot get his picks thru the tight security at his rehab facility.

PW - Missouri, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Florida, Auburn, Clemson
JF - Missouri, Penn State, Oklahoma, LSU, Auburn, Colorado
BT - Missouri, Penn State, Oklahoma, LSU, Auburn, Notre Dame
TL - Missouri, Penn State, Texas, Florida, Arkansas, Texas A&M
JG - Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee

Guest analyst Uncle Rico: Missouri, Penn State, Oklahoma, LSU, Auburn, Notre Dame

Where's Timmy?

Arian Foster is a strange duck, err, dinosaur. Gotta give him points for creativity, though. Hit the link for full explanation.

National Picks

The crew's picks for this week's National Games:

PW - Wisconsin, USC, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Indiana
JF - Ohio State, USC, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Duke
BT - Ohio State, USC, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina
TL - Ohio State, USC, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Colorado
JG - Wisconsin, USC, Auburn, Kentucky, Florida, Louisiana-Monroe

Razorpod guest analysts, Uncle Rico and Born Red, weighed in with their picks on last night's show as well:

Rico - Ohio State, USC, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, N.C. State
Born Red - Ohio State, USC, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Nebraska

The show is posted here.

Show Delay

Razorpod will tape on Thursday this week, so please be sure to check back and download the Florida preview show on Friday. Like you really don't know what's going to happen this Saturday at Razorback Stadium - sorry, Stat Boy, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Yours truly will be in the press box for the game (for a little while at least), while the rest of the crew sits on their lazy rear ends in central Arkansas. The Razorpod crew would like to hear our readers thoughts on the over/under for when Jimmy G leaves Razorback Stadium to resume drinking adult beverages in the Pit. The O/U line is halftime.

Razorpod Picks

Rachel Bilson applauds Buford's fast start in the prediction contest, and has offered Jimmy G some "motivation" to reverse his last place standing. Stay tuned.

PW - Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Penn State, Alabama, Texas, Colorado
JF - Nebraska, Oklahoma, Auburn, Penn State, Georgia, Texas, Maryland
BT - Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Penn State, Georgia, Texas, UCLA
TL - Nebraska, Oklahoma, Auburn, Penn State, Alabama, Texas, North Carolina
JG - Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Penn State, Georgia, Texas, Michigan

What?!?

It's a full weekend of football in the SEC. Ole Miss, fresh off a defeat to the now nationally ranked Commodores of Vanderbilt, face Tim Tebow and the mighty Florida Gators who pummeled Tennesse last weekend. Raycom has that game at 11:30. You bet your ass it's in HD.

At the same time the Razorbacks kick-0ff against Texas, the aforementioned Volunteers begin another tough conference game with Auburn. If Phat Phil drops to 1-3 with the Tennessee alumni base begin to turn on him?

My main man Sly Croom of Mississippi State has yet another nationally televised game (I believe this makes 3 on ESPN 2 in 4 weeks) against LSU. Good news for Croom is that playing on TV helps with recruiting. Bad new for Croom is that he might lose to LSU by 40. What?!?

The most intriguing game of the night is Alabama at Georgia in Athens. Both teams are undefeated and ranked in the top 10. ESPN has this game for the entire country to see.

I'm waiting for DY to declare it stewed up Saturday. Bud Light is the official sponsor of Saturday at Studio Jimmy G.

Wally solved the Mystery-Who Invented the Wildcat

Wally Hall, in between bites of delicious Mexican food in Austin, also solved the mystery of who invented the Wildcat formation. With some intense sleuthing, and apparently some help from the tubes, Wally has pinpointed it as Pop Warner in 1917.


Pop Warner, Inventor of the Wildcat

So suck it, Gus Malzahn, Danny Nutt, and David Lee!

P.S. The internets actually back him up on this.

Down Goes Frazier! Down Goes Frazier!

Texas Preview Show Posted-Reality check show.

This week's show is up here. The crew dissects the Alabama game much like the Alabama offense dissected Arkansas' defense-quickly, bloodily, and without remorse. Prospects for the next 3 games seem dim; Texas is good. Will we win one of the next three games?




The crew also looks ahead to the rest of the season to see where the wins might come. The results are not encouraging. Will Tyler Wilson start at any point? Will the D-line start to live up to their experience?

Oh, and Buford's tanked. If you doubt it, listen for the rant starting at about 11:00.

We pick an extra game this week to make up for the one Hurricane Ike caused us to lose. That's sure to work out well for everyone.

Who DID Invent the Wildcat/Wild Rebel/Wild Dolphin? Col Mustard in the Pantry...

Hopefully, most of you football fans saw the highlights of the Dolphins' win against New England over the weekend, in which Miami RB Ronnie Brown ran the "Wild Dolphin" formation for 3 TDs. There's been a series of articles in the Orlando paper this week about the origins of the formation, and since former Arkansas OC David Lee is now on the Miami coaching staff, an article was published Monday crediting Lee with coming up with the formation.

The paper has now published a followup article (after apparently being on the receiving end of an email blitz by Arkansas fans) in which Gus Mal-a-zahn is credited with it (and interviewed about his role in using it at Arkansas). Makes for a good read, regardless of your feelings about the Malzahn/Mustain/Nutt love triangle.

Tracking the origins of something like this is a bit like trying to figure out who first came up with the idea for beer in a can...its impossible to nail down one "creator." I just think its cool that something that really took off on the college level at Arkansas is now in the NFL. I also like the fact that its pretty much connected with Arkansas and McFadden every time its run on the college or pro level now.

Because I Just Can't Help Myself

The Mitch Mustain era may never begin at USC . . . or anywhere for that matter. He is now 4th string at USC with the top QB recruit in the nation coming on campus next year. UCA may be a possibility.

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_10534339?source=rss

Razorpod Picks

The crew's picks for this week's national games:

Patrick Williams - Notre Dame, Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Colorado
Johnny Fayetteville - Michigan State, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Alabama, Baylor
Buford Tannen - Notre Dame, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Alabama, Vanderbilt
Tom Logan - Notre Dame, Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Middle Tennessee St.
Jimmy G - Michigan State, Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama, Iowa State

Alabama Show is Posted

Skeleton crew last night, but the show is up here. Patrick Williams, Johnny Fayetteville, and JimmyG discuss Alabama, and the national College Football landscape. We pay special attention to the USC beatdown of Ohio State (Big 10-boo) and the Auburn-Mississippi State Game for the Ages (the Stone Ages, that is). National Picks will be posted for all members later today, and sleeper games are in play starting Thursday night. Have a listen and enjoy.

Hogs-Horns Still On ABC at 2:30

Despite being postponed until September 27th due to Hurricane Ike, the Arkansas-Texas game will still be televised on ABC beginning at 2:30. That means Wally Hall can still get some Mexican food and complain about Europeans prior to the game. All is right with the world.

http://www.secsports.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=2&url_article_id=11521&change_well_id=2

Razorpod Texas Game Preview Podcast

The Razorpod Texas preview show is posted here. Here are the crew's picks for this week's games:

P. Williams: Georgia (over South Carolina); Fresno St. (over Wis.); Iowa (over IA St.); USC (over Ohio State); Texas (over Arkansas); Sleeper: Kansas (over S. Florida).

Johnny Fayetteville: Georgia; Fresno; Iowa; USC; Texas; Sleeper: Baylor (over Wash. St.)

Buford Tannen: Georgia; Fresno; Iowa; USC; Texas; Sleeper: UCLA (over BYU)

Jimmy G: Georgia; Fresno; Iowa State; Ohio State; Texas; Sleeper: Tulane (over E. Carolina)

Logan: Georgia; Wisconsin; Iowa; USC; and Arkansas over Texas! Sleeper game: S. Miss. over ASU - a great pick.


And Jimmy G doesn't like Big 10 Football.

Saturday Mornin' Comin' Down

Well, I woke up Saturday mornin', with no way to hold my head that didn't hurt . . .
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad, so I had one more for dessert . . .

Johnny Cash won't be in attendance at Razorback Stadium on September 20th as the Hogs take on the Alabama Crimson Tide, but if you plan on being there, you might want to get an early start. The game has been picked up by Raycom, and kickoff is scheduled for 11:30. This usually hurts the home team and helps the visitor, but historically, the Hogs have played pretty well on Raycom.

http://www.secsports.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=2&url_article_id=11487&change_well_id=2

Good week for the crew

Razorpod records: PW 5-1, JF 4-2, TL 4-2, JG 4-2, and newcomer Buford Tannen 6-0!

90210

What does 90210 have to do with college football? Well, nothing really. However, the original series got me thru many fall weeks waiting for college football Saturday, and hopefully, the new 90210 will fulfill that same mid-week gap. The two hour pilot for "90210" aired on Tuesday night garnering the CW's highest ever rating among the 18-49 age group. Dixon, Annie, Naomi, Ethan, Erin, Navid, and Adrianna are a fine cast with way more diversity than the original. However, true "Beverly Hills, 90210" fans will always prefer the iconic grouping of Brandon, Dylan, Brenda, Kelly, Steve, Donna, Andrea, and David. It's too bad the Mr. Walsh isn't around to manage some of the kids' trust funds, but at least Nat is still running The Peach Pit.

Back from the original show are Kelly and Brenda, but apparently, Donna, David, Brandon, Andrea, and Dylan are too busy looking for their youth in suburban shopping malls to get back in front of the camera for the new "90210". As for Steve Sanders, I think I8A4RE says it all. Steve probably should've kept the $10,000 he "anonymously donated" to the Alvarado School to insure his high school graduation - that money would come in real handy right about now.

Anyway, the updated "90210" comes with updated music (sorry, no Color Me Badd on this soundtrack), hip clothes, and the latest high tech gadgets the kids are using. It'll be an entertaining update on life in everyone's favorite teen drama zip code, but it cannot touch the original for high comedy, low fashion, and over-the-top drama. So let's just "squash" the comparisons and enjoy the ride.

Game Week Show

Hello Sports Fans!

Last night's show is posted here. Be sure to catch the crew's heartfelt moaning for the loss of the multi-Daves of JP/Lincoln Financial/Raycom along with P. Williams diving on the deep end to start the season on his sleeper pick. Logan's on maternity leave, but that doesn't diminish the fun and hilarity.

National Picks - Week 1

Here's the crew's first game predictions of the season.

PW - Alabama, Missouri, Michigan State, Tennessee, Arkansas, Virginia
JF - Clemson, Missouri, Cal, Tennessee, Arkansas, Memphis
BT - Clemson, Missouri, Cal, Tennessee, Arkansas, Stanford
TL - Clemson, Missouri, Cal, Tennessee, Arkansas, Miami (OH)
JG - Clemson, Illinois, Cal, Tennessee, Arkansas, Washington State

Cali Press Observations on Mitch Mustain

Former Razorback quarterback Mitch Mustain has struggled with increased playing time per reporters in Southern California. He may fall behind both anticipated starter Mark Sanchez and redshirt freshman backup Aaron Corp. 5 Star top QB recruit Matt Barkley is arriving next fall. A reporter who has covered USC for a while feels if he slips to third on the depth chart now with big time recruits coming in, Mustain's chances at seeing the field are not very good.

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/19/columnist-all-but-calls-mitch-mustain-a-bust/#comments

Razorpod National Picks

Follow the link below to download the latest Razorpod, or check it out on iTunes. The crew gives their national picks and also unveil their "sleeper" picks. Comedy gold.

http://www.switchpod.com/p131.html

We've Got Spirit, Yes We Do. We've Got Spirit, How 'Bout You?!?!?

Pretty good article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ranking SEC fans. A few surprises from my vantage point, but a good read regardless of where your allegiances lie.

http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/bradley/entries/2008/08/21/ranking_obnoxious_sec_football.html

National Sleeper Picks

Patrick Williams - Louisville
Tom Logan - Texas A&M
Buford Tannen - Notre Dame*
Johnny Fayetteville - North Carolina
Jimmy G - Pittsburgh

*Buford's life does not revolve his Razorpod picks. That's sad, but less so if his life revolves around Keeley Hazel instead.

Programming Notes

Here's a pretty cool link to a website that tracks what games are going to be on TV throughout the season. Pretty helpful. Johnny Fayetteville's got your back.

http://mattsarz44017.tripod.com/football2008.html

Do I Have to Do Everything?!?!

Here's the first show of the year. The crew looks ahead to the SEC season and comments about Bobby Petrino's first year at the helm.

http://www.switchpod.com/p131.html

Did You Order the Code Red?!?!?

This is a pretty crazy story, but there seem to be some things that sound bad. The story going around is more fantastic than the story written in the Ledger-Enquirer, but it sounds like there might be some evidence that Auburn assistants instructed some upperclassmen to beat the hell out of a mouthy freshman DB because he was complaining about being moved from QB. The stories are likely to vary widely, and there are reports that attorneys and the Auburn athletic department is getting involved. Reproduced below is information from the internets. Below that is a link to the Ledger-Enquirer.

"Furr blew up in practice when moved to DB, his recruitment and the ONLY reason he chose au was ctt's personal promise he would be given every opportunity to play QB. Franklin didn't recruit this guy but staff had for a couple of years. Rumors were a buzz that he was going straight to DB drills (listed on au web site as a S) and he made it known that better not happen. Well he was sent w/ the DBs day 1 and he cussed ctt, called him a liar (justified) and basically refused to go and do the drills. It turns out there are other freshman that have the same concerns about being lied to. While groups were separated during the drills some assistants started talking aloud to players during drills that Furr needed his ass kicked because no one talks to ctt like that and many there had made sacrifices for the team. So as the horn sounded and as the groups left to change drills Furr was jumped and beaten by several players. Furr was helped off the field to never return. ctt couldn't believe the stupidity of the assistants. Furr threatend law suit & crimnal charges. ctt has tried to talk to him but has not been allowed to by Furr & family. I believe Jacobs has been negotiating release and pay off to not file charges or lawsuit. I believe Furr now has a lawyer but is going to take the deal."

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/sports/story/392537.html

You can't handle the truth!

Razorpod Returning

After a long break, Razorpod is returning! Look for the first show of
Season 3 to be posted tonight or tomorrow. Our tech support team is
busy dusting off the podcasting equipment as I type this. Tonight's
show will be the Arkansas and SEC preview, and general musings on the
state of the Razorbacks going into the 2008 season.

Enjoy, and send us an email if you want us to discuss something on
tonight's show. Razorpod@sbcglobal.net

Preseason Coaches Poll

The coaches have released their preseason Top 25. Georgia is No. 1, and the Hogs didn't receive a vote.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankings?pollId=2&seasonYear=2008

Welcome to the BCS, Hawaii - and Welcome to the 2008 Season

From EDSBS's countdown to the start of the season:

How Many Shades of Awesome Is This????

We could truly make a living out of finding awesome Houston Nutt
pictures and commenting on them. This one, courtesy of Jim Harris at
ArkansasSports360.com, just begs for cartoon thought bubbles.

Razorpodders, enjoy.

Dog Days: We Got 'Em

Its 100 Degrees outside. You sweat just looking out the window. But....its also the end of July, and that means August is right around the corner. Yeah, that August, the one that means preseason practice and way-too-early games.

Oh, and Petrino's on ESPN Live Chat tomorrow.

Viva el Hog!

SEC Teams and the NCAA Tournament - Round 3

Hurtling towards the end of the regular season and with Adriana Lima watching closely, the Hogs managed to lose another road game on Tuesday night. The loss to Ole Miss in Oxford leaves the Hogs with a 2-6 road mark in SEC play and a 2-7 road record overall. Arkansas plays Auburn in Fayetteville tomorrow in the regular season finale. A win will put the Hogs at 20-10 overall and 9-7 in league play. Will that be enough to secure an NCAA Tournament berth. Wally Hall says no, while national bracket experts say yes. You can decide who's more knowledgeable. On with the rundown:

SEC West

1. Mississippi State (20-9, 11-4, RPI 35)

2. Arkansas (19-10, 8-7, RPI 41)

3. Ole Miss (20-9, 6-9, RPI 42)

4. LSU (13-16, 6-9, RPI 159)

5. Alabama (15-15, 4-11, RPI 134)

6. Auburn (14-14, 4-11, RPI 155)

SEC East

1. Tennessee (27-3, 13-2, RPI 1)

2. Kentucky (17-11, 11-4, RPI 47)

3. Vanderbilt (25-5, 10-5, RPI 7)

4. Florida (21-9, 8-7, RPI 63)

5. South Carolina (13-16, 5-10, RPI 149)

6. Georgia (13-15, 4-11, RPI 144)

Locks:

Tennessee - The Vols clinched the SEC regular season title with wins over Kentucky and Florida this week. A win at home over South Carolina should lock up a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens at the SEC Tournament.

Vanderbilt - Vandy lost at Arkansas and won a heart-stopper over Mississippi State this week. Shan Foster's nine three-pointers propelled the Commodores to an 86-85 OT win over MSU. Vandy will be the 3 seed from the East and have to play on Thursday at the SEC Tournament unless they win at Alabama and Kentucky loses at home to Florida.

Mississippi State - MSU clinched the West division title last week and had a chance to win the overall title going into Wednesday night. However, Tennessee's win coupled with the Bulldogs loss at Vanderbilt left them two back of the Vols with only one game to play. MSU should win their regular season finales at home against LSU, and that will leave them with a 12-4 SEC mark. State could conceivably get a 5 or 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a conference tourney title.

Work Left To Do:

Kentucky - The Wildcats resume keeps on getting stronger. They lost a tough one at Tennessee on Sunday, but they won at South Carolina on Wednesday to run their league record to 11-4. The Wildcats RPI has climbed into the Top 50, so a win at home against Florida on Sunday may be all they need to complete their improbable run to an at-large berth.

Arkansas - The Hogs aren't as in bad a shape as it may appear. They got a big win over Vanderbilt last Saturday, and as mentioned above a win at home over Auburn will give the Hogs a winning SEC record. The RPI is solid, and Arkansas has good non-conference wins over Baylor and VCU on neutral courts. The weakness of the bubble teams around the country also helps the Razorbacks chances.

Florida - The loss to Tennessee was a heartbreaker. The Gators find themselves in need of win at Kentucky to finish above .500 in SEC play and to give them a quality road win. Florida only has one win over an RPI Top 50 team, and their non-conference strength of schedule is awful. A loss to Kentucky will likely leave Florida on the outside looking in at the NCAA Tournament unless they can win the SEC Tournament.

Ole Miss - Ole Miss is only 6-9 in SEC play, but a win at Georgia coupled with three wins in the SEC Tournament would put them in the same boat as last year's Arkansas team that garnered one of the last at-large bids. Anything short of winning the next four leave the Rebels in the NIT. Of course, if Ole Miss could win that 5th game, they would get the automatic bid and not have to worry about anything.

Automatic Bid Only - South Carolina, Georgia, LSU, Alabama, Auburn

SEC Teams and the NCAA Tournament - Round 2

Another disastrous road loss by the Hogs last night to Alabama has them sitting squarely on the bubble. Right now Arkansas is 18-9 overall, 7-6 in SEC play, 6-6 in their last 12 games, and a woeful 2-6 in true road games. Onto the SEC breakdown:

SEC East
1. Tennessee (11-2, 25-3, RPI 1)
2. Kentucky (10-3, 16-10, RPI 60)
3. Vanderbilt (9-4, 24-4, RPI 7)
4. Florida (8-5, 21-7, RPI 51)
5. South Carolina (4-9, 12-15, RPI 147)
6. Georgia (3-10, 11-14, RPI 139)

SEC West
1. Mississippi State (10-3, 19-8, RPI 41)
2. Arkansas (7-6, 18-9, RPI 45)
3. Alabama (4-9, 15-13, RPI 123)
4. Auburn (4-9, 14-12, RPI 127)
5. LSU (4-9, 11-16, RPI 164)
6. Ole Miss (4-9, 18-9, RPI 48)

Locks:
Tennessee - The Vols won at Memphis and lost at Vanderbilt this week. Tennessee is ranked No. 1 until the polls come out next Monday, and they are still No. 1 in the RPI. Tennessee's lead in the SEC East and overall standings has been trimmed to one game over Kentucky and Mississippi State. Tennessee should lock up a No. 1 seed if they can win the SEC regular season title with wins against Kentucky, Florida, and South Carolina. Depending on how the other teams vying for a no. 1 seed do down the stretch, Tennessee may need to win the SEC Tournament as well for a chance at the overall no. 1 seed. Tennessee is a stellar 11-3 in road/neutral court games, 3-2 against the RPI Top 25, and 9-2 against the RPI Top 50.

Vanderbilt - Vandy's win over Tennessee makes them a lock for the NCAA Tournament, and they can claim a top four seed if they finish strong. The Commodores are No. 7 in the RPI, and have quality wins against Tenn., S. Alabama, UMass, Wake Forest, Ga. Tech, Ky, and Florida. Vandy's road/neutral court record is a respectable 6-4.

Mississippi State - MSU moves into the lock category on the Razorpod Blog. The Bulldogs clinched at least a share of the West Division Title with their win over Auburn last night. If MSU can finish strong, they have a shot at a share of the SEC overall title. Their road/neutral court record is 8-5 with a 5-3 record in true road games, and they are also 9-3 in their last 12 games. The Bulldogs so-so non-conference record may prevent them from getting a high seed as well as their 2-7 record against the RPI Top 50.

Should Be In
Nobody is in this category

Work Left To Do
Arkansas - Arkansas has gone from playing for seeding to the outside of the bubble by losing 4 of their last 5 games (all four losses were on the road). The Hogs have a huge opportunity to right the ship with Vanderbilt coming to Fayetteville on Saturday. Arkansas' RPI is an okay 45, and they own quality wins over Baylor, Mississippi State, VCU, and Florida. The road/neutral court record is 5-8 with a pathetic 2-6 record in true road games. Losses to South Carolina, Georgia, and Appalachian State also hurt. The Hogs can slide comfortably back inside the bubble by winning their final three regular season games - Vandy, at Ole Miss, and Auburn.

Florida - The Gators are 8-5 in SEC play and 21-7 overall. However, they only have one marquee win - a home win over Vanderbilt. They are 1-5 against the RPI Top 50. However, Florida can secure a berth if they can win 2 of their final 3 against Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Kentucky. MSU and TN will be home games, while the Gators can sweep the season series if they can get a win at Kentucky. If Florida loses 2 of 3, it may take a couple of solid wins in the SEC Tournament to get them back into the NCAA Tournament picture.

Kentucky - Kentucky is coming on strong down the stretch. Two more wins this week put the Wildcats at 10-3 in the SEC with a chance to win the regular season title if they can upset Tennessee in Knoxville on Sunday. Once considered a longshot just to get onto the bubble, Kentucky can stake its claim to an at-large bid with 2 more regular season wins. Their RPI has climbed to 60, and they are 4-5 against the RPI Top 50. Kentucky's margin of error still remains razor thin, however. A loss at Tennessee coupled with another loss either at South Carolina or home against Florida could leave the Wildcats in need of an SEC Tournament Title to get into the NCAA Tournament.

Ole Miss - At 4-9 in SEC play, the Rebels have pretty much squandered their 14-0 start. It's hard to imagine a team receiving an at-large berth with a losing conference record this year as the SEC is perceived to be a little down when compared to the other BCS conferences. However, Ole Miss can at least give the committee something to think about if they can manage to win out against a relatively easy schedule. Alabama and Arkansas visit the Tad Pad, and the only road game left is against East cellar-dweller, Georgia.

Automatic Bid Only - South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, LSU.

SEC Update

Arkansas got just what they needed after two tough losses on the road - a home date with last place LSU. Sparked by some torrid outside shooting in the 1st half, the Hogs went on a 21-0 run to take a 23 point lead into halftime. The second half was all for show as Arkansas improved to 18-7 overall and 7-4 in the SEC with a 87-61 win.

Other SEC Games:
Ole Miss over Mississippi State
Florida over South Carolina
Tennessee over Auburn

Updated Standings:
SEC West
1. Mississippi State 8-3
2. Arkansas 7-4
3. Ole Miss 4-7
4. Alabama 3-8
5. Auburn 3-8
6. LSU 2-9

SEC East
1. Tennessee 11-1
2. Kentucky 8-3
3. Vanderbilt 7-4
4. Florida 7-5
5. South Carolina 4-7
6. Georgia 3-8

SEC Teams and the NCAA Tournament

With the NCAA Tournament just one month away, the Razorpod Blog will attempt to keep you informed of which SEC teams will make the Big Dance. First, a look at the SEC standings with each teams RPI.

SEC East
1. Tennessee (23-2, 10-1, #1)
2. Kentucky (14-10, 8-3, #69)
3. Vanderbilt (22-4, 7-4, #10)
4. Florida (19-7, 6-5, #58)
5. South Carolina (12-12, 4-6, #116)
6. Georgia (11-12, 3-8, #131)

SEC West
1. Mississippi State (17-7, 8-2, #43)
2. Arkansas (17-7, 6-4, #32)
3. Ole Miss (17-7, 3-7, #47)
4. Auburn (13-10, 3-7, #147)
5. Alabama (14-12, 3-8, #124)
6. LSU (8-15, 2-8, #185)

Taking a cue from ESPN.com's weekly watch, the Razorpod Blog will put SEC teams into the following categories - locks, should be in, work to do, and better win the SEC Tournament and snag that automatic bid.

Locks - Tennessee and Vanderbilt
Should Be In - Mississippi State
Work Left to Do - Arkansas, Florida, Ole Miss, Kentucky
Automatic Bid Only - Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Auburn, LSU

Tennessee is 23-2, 10-1 in SEC play. The Vols are the class of the SEC, and if they finish 4-1 in SEC play they'll win their first outright SEC Title in 41 years. I'm assuming that MSU will not run the table and finish 14-2 in league play, since the Bulldogs play 4 of their final 6 on the road. Tennessee can get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they beat Memphis Saturday night and win the SEC regular season title. Even if the Vols lose at Memphis, they can still garner a No. 1 seed by winning the rest of their regular season games and winning the SEC Tournament.

Vanderbilt is a lock with a 22-4 record and No. 10 ranking in the RPI. With just a little help, the Commodores should slide up to No. 2 in the SEC East and get a first round bye in the SEC Tourney.

Mississippi State should win the West as they have a two game lead on Arkansas with six games left to play. However, the Bulldogs hopes of a high seed could take a hit with games at Ole Miss, at South Carolina, at Florida, and at Vanderbilt. MSU's rough start could (5-5 non-conference) cost them as well.

Arkansas is in the best position of those teams that still have some work left to do. The Hogs are 17-7, 6-4 in SEC play. With three home games remaining, Arkansas should secure a bid by winning those games. However, a slip up at home will cause some concern if the Hogs losing road ways continue. Arkansas can all but secure a berth with two wins this week. A home victory over LSU followed by a road win over Kentucky would most likely secure a 10 win SEC season and NCAA bid. Watch out for a home date with Vanderbilt.

Florida is in a precarious position after 3 losses in their last four games. The Gators are only 1-5 against the RPI Top 50, and they still have games remaining against MSU, Tennessee, and Kentucky. An 8-8 SEC record coupled with a weak non-conference schedule would leave the two-time defending national champions in the NIT.

Ole Miss has squandered its 13-0 start by collapsing in SEC play. The Rebels are 3-7 in the SEC, and a loss at home against MSU tonight would be a crippling blow to their NCAA chances. Ole Miss also has road games left against Kentucky, LSU, and Georgia as well as a home game against Arkansas. Andy Kennedy's team is staring at a 6-10 league record or worse. No NCAA bid will be forthcoming in that instance.

Kentucky provides the most interesting case. Billy Gillispie's first team was 6-7 in non-conference play with horrendous home losses to Gardner-Webb and San Diego. The Wildcats and the Big Blue faithful were left for dead when SEC play started. However, Kentucky is now 8-3 in the SEC, their RPI is starting to become respectable, and they should get to 10 or 11 SEC wins with the only likely loss being at Tennessee. Wins at home against Arkansas, Florida, and Ole Miss along with a road win at South Carolina is all that stands between them and a 12-4 SEC record. No team has been left out of the NCAA Tournament with 10 or more conference wins.

The Razorpod Blog will back with this feature every week between now and the tournament. Please leave your comments and thoughts on the NCAA Tournament prospects of SEC Teams.

Great Week

It was a good week to be a Hog basketball fan. A twenty point win over nationally ranked and West leading Mississippi State was followed by a 19 point domination of nationally ranked Florida. The Hogs increased defensive intensity and commitment to rebounding have keyed the surge. While the offense can still look questionable at times, Sonny Weems is growing into his go to player roll. If his hot shooting continues, look for Beverley to continue to benefit, as well as the big men, from a more spread out opponent's defense.

Now, it's Ole Miss. A team at the beginning of the conference slate that looked 15 points better than the Hogs. They're on the decline, dropping a game at home to USC on Saturday (sound familiar?). But they always play the Hogs tougher than most anyone, and another blow out would be surprise. The open Wednesday comes at a good time. Hopefully, Pel can bring the team back down to earth and get them ready for what will be a physical game on Saturday.

Home Stretch

The next three games may very well decide the fate of this year's basketball team. The Hogs are 3-2, and entering a three game home stand where they will face West leading Mississippi State, East leading Florida, and West rival Ole Miss. A three game sweep would put Arkansas at 6-2 and quite possibly in a tie for first in the West. A loss in the three games will make the second half of the season even more difficult than it already is with 5 of the 8 games on the road. Two losses and a third straight tournament appearance is in serious jeopardy.

Razorback Basketball - A Old, Familiar Feeling

Hello, Razorpod fans. After a lengthy absence to digest the Cotton Bowl debacle and formulate an opinion on the basketball Hogs, the Razorpod Crew is back on the blog. Unfortunately, the news isn't good. John Pelphrey's first team at Arkansas looks suspiciously like Stan Heath's last version - inconsistent. Pelphrey is a solid coach who may very well lead the Hogs back to SEC front-runner status and NCAA Tournament glory, but his first team is filled with seven seniors who are very much set in their ways. As much prodded and yelling as Pelphrey does, those seniors are seniors, and their play is as inconsistent and spotty as it was when they were freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.

Arkansas played well in wins over Baylor and Auburn, looked like world-beaters for a half against Alabama before gutting out an OT win (something that is different this year), and then played an all-too familiar game in getting beat by SEC bottom-feeder South Carolina at Bud Walton Arena. A home loss to the Gamecocks coupled with the loss in LR to Appalachian State is not an NCAA Tournament resume builder. Nate Allen tackles one of the glaring problems for both Coach Heath and Coach Pelphrey - lack of a true point guard to lead the attack.

http://www.wholehogsports.com/nwat/61305

The Hogs have plenty of time to get back on track in SEC play, and wins at Georgia and LSU over the next two games would take some of the bad taste from Wednesday night away. However, unless their is drastic improvement, it's hard to envision this team finishing ahead of Ole Miss and Mississippi State in the West. A third place finish in the SEC West will not get this band of Razorbacks an invitation to March Madness.

The blog will delve into SEC teams' chances of reaching the NCAA Tournament in a couple of weeks when teams start to separate themselves in the standings. As for now, it's good to back talking Razorback sports.