Behind Enemy Lines—What It's Like To Be a Buckeye Fan Living In SEC Country

By Brad Washington —BlockONation.com Special Contributor

Ever since November 22, 1997, I’ve been hooked on Ohio State Football.

Every Ohio State fan and every Michigan fan should always remember that day.

For Michigan fans, Charles Woodson sealed the Heisman Trophy. For Ohio State, it was a blown chance to go to the Rose Bowl and even possibly compete for the national title.

For me, it was the beginning of a lifelong fandom and dedication to Ohio State football.

Unfortunately, I live in Columbia, South Carolina—The home of the South Carolina Gamecocks. There wasn’t much room for me to express my love for my favorite team at first, but I made room anyway.

The life of being a Buckeye fan in SEC country is, well, rough.

In elementary school, I let my fandom be known, and was called a traitor, idiot and all sorts of names routinely for not succumbing to liking the USC Gamecocks.

They didn’t understand that beating Michigan was more important than their rivalry with Clemson.

And without a doubt, it was.

As Jim Tressel came and succeeded in winning Big Ten titles as well as a national title, I was always the target of jokes whenever we had an embarrassing loss or whatever the case was.

Because I live in South Carolina, everyone expects that if you aren’t a USC or Clemson fan, you must like another team in in the SEC.

For me, how I saw an SEC fan: An SEC fan wouldn’t let you live down that infamous bowl record. And I mean that literally.

I could recall in high school not wanting to go to school the day after both national championship games,because I knew I would be brutally teased by the Florida and LSU fans respectively.

Any Ohio State football fan can tell you that those two years were the hardest. Being reminded that your team can’t compete with the speed of the SEC stings a bit.

I knew better. I knew Jim Tressel wasn’t being aggressive enough. I knew he came in thinking Tresselball would be successful. But to them that never mattered.

In the midst of that, I had to deal with USC fans who didn’t know their place.

I can’t remember a time when a USC fan didn’t bring up how Ohio State lost to the Gamecocks twice in the Outback bowl.

Yes, the two games held in the 2000 and 2001 bowl seasons.

All of that ended whenever I would ask how many conference/national titles they won though.

Although it was a burden, I never backed down from my pride in Ohio State.

If Ohio State was the brunt of jokes in America after those national title losses, the state of South Carolina convinced me it was the chairman of the board, assisting the charge.

Everyone else lead behind Florida and continued to add insult to injury to every Buckeye fan imaginable. Including me, of course.

But, that wouldn't last forever. The greatest, most recent great memory I have is our win versus Arkansas in the 2011 Sugar Bowl.



When I heard that Ohio State was to battle Arkansas that January, the jokes and SEC criticism started coming back slowly but surely.

Had I lived in Columbus or anywhere in Ohio, I would have been able to celebrate with fellow Buckeye fans and join in their optimism and hopefulness. We would have all believed that this game would finally end the streak against the SEC.

But I wasn’t, I was in South Carolina being reminded that my Ohio State Buckeyes couldn’t compete with Arkansas because we’re too slow.

I knew we had the potential to win, but wasn’t allowed to believe it.

But when Ohio State did actually beat Arkansas, I had a tear come down. Finally, there was no more "too slow" or "not good enough to compete" talk. It was finally over and so were the jokes.

Being an Ohio State Buckeye fan in Columbia South Carolina is like being the black sheep of a family. After the win over Arkansas, the SEC jokes died down, but USC didn’t forget to tell me about their success the past two seasons.

I more than likely will be a Buckeye fan for life. The love is that strong. But growing up a Buckeye in South Carolina, more specifically SEC country isn’t an easy thing to do.

Buckeye fans from Ohio to California go through the same thing, except for me, it's worse than for most. I’m in the heart of the criticism, and it's not always an easy thing to swallow.

I'll still be here in South Carolina for the time being, representing Ohio State football on Saturdays, during every off season, and come bowl time (after this season).

It doesn’t matter where I am. My allegiance to Ohio State will remain. Yes, even here in SEC country.

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Brad @theGURO15

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Ohio State vs. Florida 2012 Gator Bowl — Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

Ohio State/Florida—A Few Opening Thoughts...

The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Florida Gators would both probably like to forget their 2011 regular seasons and head into the off season on a high note with a win in the 2012 Gator Bowl.

This will be the final game for the current Buckeye coaching staff. As you may have heard, Ohio State hired some guy by the name of Urban Meyer to take over their program next season.

While Luke Fickell and his staff have been focused on their final game, Meyer has been focused on catapulting the Ohio State 2012 recruiting class from barely in the top 25, up into the top 10.

Team Overview / Players of Note

Florida

The Florida Gator offense ranks 102^nd nationally at 334 yards per game. They are 9^th in total defense, allowing an average of 299.6 yards per game, and rank 9^th in points allowed per game (20.6).

Quarterback John Brantley -- who has passed for 1,912, yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions -- is expected to start for the Gators, while freshmen Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel could also each play. Both have struggled, however, combining for just 354 yards and two touchdowns, with six INTs.

Running backs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps split carries and combined for 1,329 yards and eight touchdowns.

Andre Debose and Chris Rainey were the top two receivers for Florida with 15 catches for 423 yards and 28 catches for 350 yards respectively. Debose caught four passes for scores while Rainey added two touchdown catches.


Ohio State

Ohio State is 107^th in total offense (320 yards per game) nationally. They are 24^th in total defense, allowing an average of 328.6 yards per game, and rank 27^th in points allowed per game (20.8).

The Silver Bullets had 23 sacks and 12 interceptions during the regular season.

QB Braxton Miller passed for 997 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions and ran for another 695 yards seven rushing touchdowns.

Tailback Dan Herron finished second on the team with 596 yards and three scores, followed closely by Carlos Hyde with 549 yards and six scores.

The Buckeye passing game was very inconsistent and the receiving statistics reflect that. Devin Smith led the team in yardage with 247 yards on 12 catches, including four for scores. Corey Brown was second with 14 catches for 205 yards and tight end Jake Stoneburner finished the regular season with 14 catches and 193 yards.


Ohio State—Florida History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State is 0-1 all-time vs. Florida.

• Ohio State is 20-22 all-time is bowl games.

• Ohio State last played in the Gator Bowl in 1978.

• Ohio State is 1-10 in bowl games vs. SEC opponents.

• Ohio State is making their 11th straight bowl games appearance, a streak that will end next year.

• Ohio State's defense has held opponent to fewer than 10 points 31 times since 2006.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just nine 100-yard rushers in their last 48 games.

• Ohio State has held 67 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Florida is 6-2 all-time in the Gator Bowl.

• Florida is making their 21st consecutive bowl game appearance.

• Florida went 0-5 during the regular season vs. top 25 teams, while Ohio State went 2-4.


Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

The 2012 Urban Bowl Gator Bowl features two of the top programs in college football despite each having an atypical .500 regular season.

Something has to give and it's not likely going to be Ohio State's defense.

The Gators lost six of their last eight games to end the season and in those games, they averaged less than 225 yards and 12 points.

Look for the Silver Bullets to ramp up the heat on Brantley -- who was picked off three times in the season finale by Florida State -- and to score or at least set up an easy score or two for Miller and the OSU offense.

This meeting feels like it's going to be close throughout with moderate scoring, unlike the 41-14 loss Ohio State suffered at the hands of their new coach and his 2006 Gators team, but Miller and the Buckeye defense SHOULD be the difference.


Ohio State 27
Florida 20


"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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A Closer Look at Everbank Field, Home of the Jacksonville Jaguars

Ohio State and Florida will face off Monday, January 2^nd in the 2012 Gator Bowl, and in case you are going to the game, our friends at Stadium Journey dropped us a link to their review of the stadium in Jacksonville which you may find useful.

Jaguars’ Half-Empty House: A Good Bargain
Official Review by Jack Harver, Stadium Journey Correspondent


Ten weeks into the 2009 season, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium has been one of the NFL's most buzzworthy facilities. Not for being big and flashy like the Dallas Cowboys' new billion-dollar home—it isn't—and not because it's on a farewell tour like Giants Stadium. (Not yet, at least.)

Instead, "The Jack" has been a hot topic for the national media because it's practically empty for Jaguars games.

There are over 67,000 seats in the stadium, not including almost 10,000 in the upper corners that remain covered—like training wheels for drawing a "sellout" crowd. But Jacksonville sold less than 46,000 tickets on average for each of the team's first three home contests this year, with reported attendance figures closer to 40,000 per game.

The upshot? Walk-up ticket buyers can score seats that would be prime real estate in other NFL stadiums.

Lower-level tickets were available on the team's website less than a week before the game, including one in the corner of the north end zone that provided an excellent view of the Jaguars' 24-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Inside the Jack, Section 118, Row H

With Jacksonville residents spending their Sunday afternoons elsewhere—in one of the many churches within walking distance of the stadium, perhaps—the Jaguars have won three of their four home games.

At 5-4 on the year, they're dark horse playoff contenders despite bidding good-bye to over half of last year's 53-man roster and starting four rookies from their 2009 draft crop.

Factor in top-tier superstars like running back Maurice Jones-Drew and cornerback Rashean Mathis, and Jacksonville's on-field product figures to be respectable for years to come. Like the team, the fan experience at The Jack isn't mind-blowing, but it has its pluses.

View and read the article in its' entirety at StadiumJourney.com

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Since We Have Florida's Old Coach, Maybe It's Time That We Get On The Bandwagon Of Their Old QB, Tim Tebow

Today, the New England Patriots face the Broncos in Denver in the pre-Super Bowl Super Bowl and the Golden Boy, Tom Brady, takes on the Godly Boy, Tim Tebow, in what is sure to be a huge ratings draw, but enough about the actual game!

If you haven't seen this .GIF image, or these videos yet, you're missing out — I'm sure if current-Buckeye coach and former Florida/Tebow coach Urban Meyer has seen these, he was cracking up too!

All I can say is WOW and LMAO — Enjoy and God bless.








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Buckeye Basketball: #4 Ohio State @ #9 Florida Tonight at 6PM on ESPN

We don't run OSU basketball stories all that often here on BlockONation, but this game warrants some attention even from a Buckeye football blog.

Not only is it a matchup of top 10 teams, but it is against the hated Florida Gators.

They beat tOSU on the gridiron in January 2007 for the BCS title and again just two short months later on the hardwood in March 2007 in the NCAA Championship game.

The Buckeyes finally beat a down-UF on the court during the 2007-2008 season, but Buckeye fans still have a bitter taste in their mouths from the championship defeats.

A victory tonight in Gainesville for the basketball Buckeyes would go a long way in solidifying the hype and their current ranking.

It would also be great for Buckeye fans to beat the Gators when they are considered to be one of the 10 best teams in the nation instead of in rebuilding mode as they were during the 07-08 season.

Below is the game preview for tonight's game from ESPN.com, which can also be viewed here.

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The last time Ohio State and Florida met as ranked teams, the national championship was on the line. The stakes aren't nearly that high this time, but an early-season matchup should reveal plenty about each club.

The fourth-ranked Buckeyes and No. 9 Gators each face their first significant test of the new season Tuesday night when they meet in Gainesville.

Ohio State (1-0) and Florida (1-0) haven't been ranked when they faced each other since the Gators won a second consecutive national title by beating the Buckeyes in 2007.

Ohio State took the rematch 62-49 at home in December of that year, but neither team was in the Top 25 at the time.

Now, a number of young, promising players make another March meeting a realistic possibility.

The reigning Big Ten champion Buckeyes, who cruised to a 102-61 win over North Carolina A&T in their season opener Friday, may have exerted themselves more while practicing to take on the Gators.

"Our intensity in practice prepares us for all of the big games," said senior forward Dallas Lauderdale, who had 12 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks against the Aggies. "The way we practice makes all of the games easier."

Lauderdale, who averaged 6.5 points and 5.2 rebounds last season, will likely be joined in the front court by Jared Sullinger, Ohio State's top recruit.

The forward turned in a superb collegiate debut Friday, scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Fellow freshman forward Deshaun Thomas had 24 points and eight boards.

"He has been so focused on his defense in practice," Matta said of Thomas. "I always say if you focus on defense the offense will come and he found this out. That's the impact we thought he would have."

Much like Ohio State, Florida is considered a favorite in its conference and a trendy pick to return to the Final Four.

The Gators opened their most anticipated season in four years without much trouble Friday, beating UNC Wilmington 77-60.

Coach Billy Donovan saw plenty of room for improvement, especially defensively. Florida allowed the Seahawks to shoot 47.9 percent.

"We've got to get more disciplined," Donovan said. "I think that we have a team that can press. We've got to get more disciplined in terms of what we're doing and I do believe we have a chance to be a good pressing team. We've just got to keep getting better at it."

With a deep group of young players, Donovan may continue to rotate players often in order to press the entire game. Four freshmen -- Patric Young, Scotti Wilbekin, Will Yeguete and Casey Prather -- totaled 10 points, seven assists and five steals Friday.

"It helps a lot," sophomore guard Kenny Boynton said of the frequent substitutions. "I can't remember too many times in the game when I was tired. Coach had us rotating in and out, and they gave us good minutes off the bench."

Boynton, who averaged 14.0 points while starting all but one game as a freshman, scored 10 in the season opener.


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College Football Best of the Best: Week 3 Must See Matchups

These are the best week three games to watch, times and channel info included when available.


Friday 9/17
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Nevada (2-0) vs. California (2-0) - 10PM - ESPN2/ESPN3.com


Saturday 9/18
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No. 2 Ohio State (2-0) vs. Ohio U (1-1) - Noon - Big Ten Network


No. 4 TCU (2-0) vs. Baylor (2-0) - 4:30PM - Versus


No. 6 Texas (2-0) @ Texas Tech (2-0) - 8:00PM - ABC


No. 7 Oklahoma (2-0) vs. Air Force (2-0) - 3:30PM - N/A


No. 8 Nebraska (2-0) @ Washington (1-1) - 3:30PM - ABC/ESPN3.com


No. 9 Iowa (2-0) @ No. 24 Arizona (2-0) - 10:30Pm - ESPN/ESPN3.com


No. 10 Florida (2-0) @ Tennessee (1-1) - 3:30Pm - CBS


No. 11 Wisconsin (2-0) vs. Arizona State (2-0) - 3:30PM - ABC


No. 16 Auburn (2-0) vs. Clemson (2-0) - 7PM - ESPN/ESPN3.com


No. 19 Stanford (2-0) vs. Wake Forest (2-0) - 11:15PM - ESPN2/ESPN3.com


No. 21 West Virgina (2-0) vs. Maryland (2-0) - Noon - ESPNU


Michigan State (2-0) vs. Notre Dame (1-1) - 8PM - ABC


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Florida, Ole Miss Prove Southeastern Conference Greatness is Exaggerated

For more than three quarters earlier today, Miami (Ohio) outplayed a sloppy Florida Gators team in the swamp. The Gators had less than 50 total yards on offense in the third quarter before finally waking up in the fourth.

Both teams finished with 212 total yards. In the end, UF won the game 34-12 despite their horrible showing. Lucky for them they weren't playing a team that had more than one win in 2009.

New quarterback John Brantley was overwhelmingly unimpressive and it was apparent that UF has virtually no weapons at wide receiver.

Even worse for SEC-ville was the embarrassing performance of the Ole Miss Rebels against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks of FCS fame.

Junior Marques Ivory and true freshmen quarterback Coty Blanchard outplayed both Nathan Stanley and Jeremiah Masoli as they combined to lead the Gamecocks to the huge win in double overtime.

Ivory tossed the first touchdown pass, a seven-yard score to Alan Bonner to put the Gamecocks ahead 41-34.

Brandon Bolden tied the game at 41 with a two yard touchdown run, then Ole Miss took the lead in the second overtime on a two yard touchdown run by Enrique Davis.

That's when the magic happened. Blanchard scrambling for his life, hit Kevyn Cooper in the back of the end zone for the 30 yard touchdown on 4th down and 15 from the 30 yard line.

After calling timeout, Jacksonville State decided to avoid a third overtime and go for the win.

On a bootleg right and just as he was nearly caught for a dream-crushing sack, Blanchard found his man at the goal line for the conversion, and the win.

Surely SEC fans who read this are going to post comments chock full of excuses and saying that Ole Miss sucks anyway, etc, etc.

Here's the problem with that just so you all know ahead of time.

You all claim each others wins and BCS titles as a conference so by God, you're going to own this loss by Ole Miss as a conference just the same.

P.S. There goes that whole "The SEC is the best conference top to bottom in the country" crap...


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Images Copyright of ESPN & the AP / Rogelio V. Solis

The Revised Top 10: How the Coaches Should Have Voted

Most of you are aware that the USAToday top 25 coaches poll was released yesterday.

As far as the top 10 goes, some teams were ranked too high—some teams were ranked too low—and a couple of teams that belong in the top 10 actually found themselves on the outside looking in.

The controversy over preseason polls will never end, but I believe my revised rankings will right a few of the wrongs and please everyone—or cause an outright riot.

Either way, it should be a good time. After all, the 2010 college football season is almost here!


Coaches top 10

No. 1—Alabama

No. 2—Ohio State

No. 3—Florida

No. 4—Texas

No. 5—Boise State

No. 6—Virginia Tech

No. 7—TCU

No. 8—Oklahoma

No. 9—Nebraska

No. 10—Iowa



My top 10, and a few thoughts on each

No. 1—Alabama

The Tide lost 9 defensive starters and almost slipped from the top spot because of those losses, but the offense, led by Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and his talented understudy Trent Richardson, should be very prolific. I still am not sure QB Greg McElroy is as great as Alabama fans believe he is, but it won't hurt him to have Julio Jones to throw to after the running game likely opens up some huge passing lanes. Because of their numerous weapons on offense, they maintain the top ranking for now, but we all know it's hard to go wire-to-wire unbeaten with that huge target resting squarely on your back.

No. 2—Boise State

I moved BSU up three spots from five to two. Did someone forget to tell the coaches that Boise State was a perfect 14-0 last year and that they return all 22 starters including QB Kellen Moore? Ultimately their conference schedule may hurt their overall SOS down the road when the BCS rankings are released, but it's not their fault no other top teams want to schedule them. Either way, Moore is a stud and he would be a star in any conference in the country in my opinion.

No. 3—Ohio State

To show my ability to be objective, I moved the Buckeyes down one spot from two to three behind Boise State because the Broncos have all their starters returning. If the Buckeyes and Broncos each go unbeaten, Ohio State's SOS would give them the clear edge and once again eliminate any BCS title hopes of yet another mid-major program. QB Terrelle Pryor will be improved in 2010 just as Troy Smith was in 2006 and he is surrounded by top-notch players at every offensive position. The Buckeyes and their fans are hoping this is the year they get back to, and win, the BCS championship. It's definitely possible, but it won't be easy. Miami, Wisconsin, Iowa, possibly Penn State, and yes, perhaps even lowly Michigan, all intend on ending those dreams when they each get their shots.

No. 4—Virginia Tech

There are several reasons why I moved the Hokies up from sixth and into my top five. QB Tyrod Taylor has consistently improved in each of his first two seasons and year three should reveal more of the same. They also have a problem every team and coach would love to have--two top-tier running backs in Ryan Williams and Darren Evans. Add in the fact that they always have a pretty solid defense and an excellent coach in Frank Beamer and that all adds up to a top 5 team in my book.

No. 5—Florida

I dropped UF from third to fifth for multiple reasons. In short, Tim Tebow is gone and there is some uncertainty as to what new QB John Brantley will bring to the table. UF really has no No. 1 big name workhorse running back that could help take some of the pressure off of Brantley. Also, the questions that are still looming (at least for me) about Urban Meyer's health and ability to withstand the pressures of coaching for the entire season are a factor. Lastly, UF had a few key losses on defense. I feel compelled to be skeptical of the Gators being ranked in the top three and maybe even being in the top five, but until I see them play, I really can't justify dropping them any further at this point.

No. 6—TCU

Andy Dalton could prove to be one of the nation's top quarterbacks and I believe it is safe to say the Horned Frogs will field one of the best defenses in all of college football. I moved them up one spot from seven to six for those reasons. As is the case with Boise State, TCU's overall schedule may prevent them making a legit BCS title run, but at the very least, making a BCS bowl is a distinct possibility.

No. 7—Iowa

If coach Kirk Ferentz ever had an Iowa team that appears more ready than ever to contend for the Big 10 and possibly the BCS titles, this would be it. Offensively, senior signal-caller Ricky Stanzi returns along with running backs Jewell Hampton and Adam Robinson and wideouts Marvin McNutt and Derrell-Johnson Koulianos. The defense is led by Orange Bowl MVP Adrian Clayborn, who is one of the favorites for the conference and national defensive POY awards. The schedule is near perfect with only one difficult away game (at Arizona), while Penn State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State all have to play the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. If Stanzi, who has had a propensity for turning the ball over at inopportune times, can protect the football, the Hawkeyes will have a solid chance of unseating the Buckeyes as the best of the Big 10.

No. 8—Pittsburgh

Even after losing proven starter QB Bill Stull, the fighting Wannstedt's are my favorite to win the Big East. The main reasons are, first and foremost, phenom running back Dion Lewis, and secondly, the schedule. When examining Pitt's schedule, you might be ask yourself in reference to me, "Is this guy insane?" No, I assure you I am not, and here is why. Pitt has stepped up in a big way with their scheduling and if they win all of their games or lose just one against any one of the ranked teams they will face, they should still be in the running for the conference title and a BCS berth. They will open the year at Utah, then they host Miami-FL a couple weeks later, followed by a trip to South Bend three weeks later to face the Irish. They then host WVU and travel to Cincinnati to finish the year. The BCS computers will love their SOS, and the rankings at season's end will show it, provided the Panthers win most or all of those matchups.

No. 9—Wisconsin

I have been unimpressed, and therefore critical of the Badgers over the past couple of seasons. That may all change this year. UW returns 10 offensive starters including reigning Big 10 offensive POY, running back John Clay and the conference's passing efficiency leader from a year ago, QB Scott Tolzien. The Badgers should be a literal offensive juggernaut in 2010. They host the Buckeyes, then travel to Iowa City the following week. I believe those two games will define their season, as the other 10 games are all practically locks for them to win. I wouldn't call it a huge worry, but as I see it, the one area of concern will be their defense. It could be the missing puzzle piece that ends up derailing the season, or the saving grace that preserves a magical season in Madison. The "O" should score plenty of points, but can their "D" preserve leads and hold on for real wins instead of moral victories?

No. 10—Texas

With QB Colt McCoy now in Cleveland playing for the Browns, and with heavy losses elsewhere including Jordan Shipley and Sergio Kindle among others, the Longhorns may be in for a long season. Garrett Gilbert, McCoy's replacement, did show that he's no slouch when he stepped in for the injured McCoy against Alabama in last season's title game, but he also had five turnovers. The Longhorns must also find the running game that they have lacked in recent years. Experience is priceless, so 2010 may be somewhat of a rebuilding year in Austin. That being said, 2011 may just find Texas right back in the hunt for another national championship.

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Just FYI, I'm not like the majority of SEC fans. I know my conference is not a team. In Big 10 country, we pick one team to root for, not all 12. I'm stressing this just so nobody gets the wise idea to accuse me of being a homer for ranking three Big 10 teams in the top 10. All three deserve to be there, end of story.


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BlockONation's Response to the Typical SEC Fan's Superiority Complex

In the wake of conference realignment, Johnathan Fravel, a featured columnist for Alabama football over at BleacherReport.com recently posted an article entitled SEC Conference Realignment: No Talk Of Expansion When You Have a Dynasty claiming that the SEC isn't looking to, not does it need to, consider expansion because they have a dynasty in college football that I guess he, like most SEC fans, believes is never going to end.

The only things that SEC fans have a Dynasty on is sporting mullets, making and drinking moonshine, watching "Trashcar", believing that wrestling is real, making love to their cousins, and wearing jorts.

Here is my reply to his article, and his, and every SEC fan's, wake up call, compliments of BlockONation.

Actually, the SEC is trying to expand as well, and whether they do or not, anyone with half a brain knows this is cyclical and the SEC's reign at the top is nearing an end, especially with conference realignment.

The Big Ten, Mountain West, and the Pac-10 will all be more competitive than the SEC, possibly as soon as 2010.

Sorry but you don't have the rest of us fooled SEC fans -- It's not really hard for Bama or Florida to go undefeated through the regular season when they are the only good teams in that vastly overrated conference.

Then Bama BARELY beat Texas w/o Colt McCoy, but instead with a freshmen QB in Garret Gilbert, so let's not act like they were great....They were the best team from an overrated, overhyped conference, who was fortunate to face Texas without McCoy for the BCS title, period.

Whether you agree or not, the SEC conference was not very good last year "top to bottom" and that has been SEC fans claim to fame so to speak, but it is clearly just not true!.

Bama and Florida were good, but then LSU was the next best team and they were very very average, as was the rest of the entire conference.

Ole Miss flopped after being hyped up last year heading into the season, and Georgia who was No. 1 in the 2008 preseason poll was pretty horrible in 2009 too...

So as you see, they might have a good team or two, but the SEC as a whole is on the way down FAST!


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My New, Improved Top 25 Running Backs For 2010: Well, According To SEC Logic Anyway...

Please SEC fans, I implore you—please forgive my transgressions against the elite, unmatched running backs from your sacred, mighty, and impeccable conference.

I have seen the light!

I have been baptized in SEC holy water, and I now repent my sins (my previous top 10 running backs for 2010 article linked above) as I present to you my new and improved, and SEC approved, top 25 running backs in the nation ranking—which by the way, also inadvertently doubles as the Top 25 Heisman Contenders for 2010, of course...


25—David Oku—Tennessee (94 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 2009)

24—Rodney Scott—Ole Miss (138 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 2009)

23—Stevan Ridley—LSU (180 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

22—Robert Elliott—Mississippi State (221 rushing yards, 1 touchdown in 2009)

21—Mario Fannin—Auburn (285 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns in 2009)

20—Christian Ducre—Mississippi State (263 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 2009)

19—Dennis Johnson—Arkansas (342 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns in 2009)

18—Roy Upchurch—Alabama (299 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 2009)

17—Brian Maddox—South Carolina (307 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns in 2009)

16—Bryce Brown—Tennessee (460 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

15—Randall Cobb—Kentucky (447 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns in 2009)

14—Kenny Miles—South Carolina (626 rushing yards, 1 touchdown in 2009)

13—Zac Stacy—Vanderbilt (478 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

12—Charles Scott—LSU (542 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns in 2009)

11—Ontario McCalebb—Auburn (565 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns in 2009)

10—Chris Rainey—Florida (575 rushing yards, 5 touchdowns in 2009)

9—Caleb King—Georgia (594 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns in 2009)

8—Broderick Green—Arkansas (442 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns in 2009)

7—Brandon Bolden—Ole Miss (614 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns in 2009)

6—Washaun Ealey—Georgia (717 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

5—Warren Norman—Vanderbilt (783 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

4—Jeffrey Demps—Florida (745 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns in 2009)

3—Derrick Locke—Kentucky (907 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns in 2009)

2—Trent Richardson—Alabama (751 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns in 2009)

1—Mark Ingram—Alabama (1658 rushing yards, 17 touchdowns in 2009)


That's it, that's the SEC friendly, and real (wink) top 25 tailbacks in the nation for 2010.

By the way, can I interest you in the tropical island in the middle of Lake Erie that I own?

Hopefully if you're a fan of an SEC team and someone read this to you since you dropped out of school in Kindergarten, you were able to detect and identify the satire and sarcasm located within the article above, as it was chock full of each!

Yours sincerely,
HD


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Three Teams That Fit The Profile As A National Championship Contender In 2010

Since the inception of the BCS in 1998, most of the teams that have won national championships have shared certain common denominators.

All have come from "Big Six" conferences, the past six champions posted at least nine victories the previous season and all but one had a winning record in post-October regular-season games.

In addition, 11 of the 12 teams to win the BCS title entered their championship season with a quarterback who was a junior or senior and had at least some starting experience.

Finally, 11 of 12 champions returned at least six full-time starters from a defensive unit that ranked in nation's top 20 in scoring defense the previous season.

Of course, there are other factors involved in fielding a championship team. The majority of champions had junior- and senior-dominated offensive lines, but it's difficult to project line starters seven months before the season begins.

Avoiding injuries also is vital, but how well a team manages that won't be known until after the 2010 regular season is completed.

Fitting the profile obviously won't guarantee a championship: None of the six teams that fit the '09 profile won the national championship. But Texas did play in the BCS national championship game, while Florida and Iowa played in BCS bowls. And Ole Miss, West Virginia and Virginia Tech posted at least nine wins.

This past season, Alabama, which went on to win the national championship, fit five of the six characteristics. They did not have a quarterback who previously had started.

When Alabama defeated Texas in the BCS national championship game, Greg McElroy joined Tennessee's Tee Martin (1998) as the only title-winning quarterbacks in the BCS era without previous starting experience.

So, while profiling shouldn't inspire fans to make reservations for Glendale, Ariz., the site of the 2010 championship game, it at least provides encouragement and a reason to start saving up.

But which fans should start saving? That question is answered in the following profile.


1. Be in a "Big Six" conference

Unbeaten Utah in 2004 and '08, Hawaii in '07, Boise State in '06 and '09 and TCU in '09 were not given a shot at playing for the national championship. Once might be a fluke, twice could be a coincidence and three times is a trend. But six times in six years? That's exclusion. The BCS system consistently has shown that teams outside the six power conferences won't have a legitimate shot at the national title.

Fitting the profile so far: The 65 teams in "Big Six" conferences and Notre Dame.


2. Post at least nine victories the previous season

Nine of the 12 BCS champions (75 percent) posted at least nine victories in the season preceding their national championship run. Four of the past six champions posted double-digit victory totals the previous year; only Florida (9-3 in '06 and 9-4 in '08) did not.

Still fitting the profile: 22 teams -- Alabama, Cincinnati, Clemson, Florida, Georgia Tech, Iowa, LSU, Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Texas, Texas Tech, USC, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin.


3. Posted a winning record in post-October regular-season games

Playing well in November often is the key to winning championships. That also provides a clue as to what programs are improving and could be a factor the next season. Every BCS national champion with the exception of LSU in 2002 posted a winning record in post-October regular-season games the previous year. Seven teams were unbeaten in that span the season preceding their championship.

Still fitting the profile: 17 teams -- Alabama, Cincinnati, Clemson, Florida, Georgia Tech, Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, Texas Tech, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Because the majority of BCS champions were unbeaten in post-October regular-season games the previous season, take extra note of Alabama, Cincinnati, Florida, Nebraska, Ohio State, Texas and Virginia Tech.


4. Return a junior or senior quarterback with starting experience

Again, McElroy and Martin are the only quarterbacks without any previous starting experience to lead BCS championship teams.

Still fitting the profile: 11 teams -- Alabama (McElroy), Cincinnati (Zach Collaros), Clemson (Kyle Parker), Georgia Tech (Josh Nesbitt), Miami (Jacory Harris), Nebraska (Zac Lee), Ohio State (Terrelle Pryor), Oregon (Jeremiah Masoli), Texas Tech (Taylor Potts), Virginia Tech (Tyrod Taylor) and Wisconsin (Scott Tolzien).


5. Return at least six starters from a defensive unit that ranked in the top 20 in scoring defense

We'll define returning starters as players who had no fewer than five starts, which represents at least a third of the games. Nine of the past 10 BCS champs ranked at least 20th in scoring defense the previous season. Tennessee is the only champion in the BCS era that returned fewer than six defensive starters.

Still fitting the profile: Three teams -- Nebraska, Ohio State, Virginia Tech.

Ohio State, Virginia Tech, and Nebraska are high-profile programs, and as demonstrated above, they all fit the national championship profile for 2010.

No doubt, fans of the Buckeyes, Hokies and Huskers already are counting the days to what could be an epic season.

But Alabama fans surely are, too. They're well-aware a team doesn't have to completely meet the profile to raise the crystal trophy.

Oregon, Texas, Miami, Wisconsin, Iowa and several others can glean encouragement from that, too.


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Photo copyright of US Presswire
Article written by Olin Buchanan, senior college football writer for Rivals.com.

How Has The SEC Gotten Away With Not Playing Meaningful OOC Road Games For So Long?

by HD Handshoe
Founder—Block-O-Nation



Seriously, can anyone answer this question, with at the very least, a semi-cognizant thought?

Since 1991, I think most people would agree the best team from the SEC has been the Florida Gators, and Alabama has arguably been a close second, just edging out LSU and Georgia in my opinion.

Over that span, Florida has won three national championships (1996, 2006, 2008) and Alabama has won two (1992, 2009).

Now, I know that basically every Florida, Alabama, and SEC fan in general will try to defend their pathetic out-of-conference road schedules until the death, but facts are facts, and they cannot be ignored any longer.

If UF, Bama, and the rest of the teams from the SEC do not start playing at least one true OOC road game per year during the regular season versus a decent team from a BCS conference, instead of some hopeless and weak FCS cupcake (examples: Charleston Southern, Memphis, Hawaii), then I say the entire conference should be banned from playing in the BCS title game indefinitely.

(I fully expect to, and cannot wait to hear from the likes of Le Roi, Larry, Carson, Sean, etc. after that last paragraph!)

I'm not just shooting my mouth off without the facts to back up my statements here. To further strengthen my stance, let's compare the OOC road games played by Florida, Alabama, and,—oh I don't know,—how about Ohio State—say from 1991, through 2009.


Florida Gators (1991-2009) OOC Road Games (0-1)

1991 @ Syracuse, a 38-21 loss

Sadly, that's it--that's the entire list of OOC road games for UF.


Alabama Crimson Tide (1991-2009) OOC Road Games (4-3)

1991 @ Memphis, a 10-7 win

1992 @ Tulane, a 37-0 win

1996 @ NC State, a 24-19 win

2000 @ UCLA, a 35-24 loss

2002 @ Hawaii, a 21-16 win

2002 @ Oklahoma, a 37-27 loss

2003 @ Hawaii, a 39-27 loss

2004-present, no OOC road games for the Tide (and no, "neutral site" games do NOT count as true road games).


Ohio State Buckeyes (1991-2009) OOC Road Games (10-3)

1992 @ Syracuse, a 35-12 win

1993 @ Pitt, a 63-28 win

1994 @ Washington, a 25-16 loss

1995 @ Pitt, a 54-14 win

1996 @ Notre Dame, a 29-16 win

1997 @ Missouri, a 31-10 win

1998 @ West Virginia, a 34-17 win

2000 @ Arizona, a 27-17 win

2001 @ UCLA, a 13-6 loss

2004 @ NC State, a 22-14 win (NFL star Phillip Rivers was the NC State QB)

2006 @ Texas, a 24-7 win (Colt McCoy was the UT QB)

2007 @ Washington, a 33-14 win (a healthy Jake Locker was the UW QB)

2008 @ USC, a 35-3 loss


Over the past two decades, you can plainly see, UF has played one OOC road game outside of the state of Florida, Alabama has played seven true road games away from the state of Alabama (excluding neutral site games), and Ohio State has played 13 OOC road games outside of Ohio—and not against the likes of Memphis, Tulane, and Hawaii either.

I know a lot of the responses will include references to UF and LSU beating the Buckeyes in 2006 and 2007, and that's fine. I won't dispute that, but I will say this.

If the teams of the SEC are so great, why not step up and play at least one real OOC game per year lke the Buckeyes do, instead of relying on the totally false "our conference schedule is too tough, so we need a break in our OOC games" excuse / crutch?

Florida beat Ohio State after they has nearly 60 days off, and LSU beat OSU essentially at home in 2007 in New Orleans.

Forgive me if I want to see just how well UF, LSU, or Alabama would fare against the Buckeyes in Columbus—and no, not just because of the weather.

That could be a factor depending on when played, but I'm more interested in seeing how those teams would deal with playing on the road, after living out of a hotel for three days, and then playing in front of 105,000+ Buckeye fans in a hostile environment behind enemy lines instead of always in the SEC backyard...


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Bowl Mania: 34 Games, 34 Short But Sweet Predictions

by HD Handshoe
Founder—Block-O-Nation



Here's our take on this seasons 34 bowl games. Please feel free to add your thoughts in the comment section.

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December 19, 2009—4:30PM
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Fresno State (8-4) vs. Wyoming (6-6)

Projected Winner — Fresno State

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December 19, 2009—8:00PM
St. Petersburg, Florida

Rutgers (8-4) vs. UCF (8-4)

Projected Winner — UCF

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December 20, 2009—8:30PM
New Orleans, Louisiana

Southern Mississippi (7-5) vs. Middle Tennessee State (9-3)

Projected Winner — Southern Mississippi

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December 22, 2009—8:00PM
Las Vegas, Nevada

No. 18 Oregon State (8-4) vs. No. 14 BYU (10-2)

Projected Winner — Oregon State

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December 23, 2009—8:00PM
San Diego, California

No. 23 Utah (9-3) vs. California (8-4)

Projected Winner — California

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December 24, 2009—8:00PM
Honolulu, Hawaii

Nevada (8-4) vs. Southern Methodist (7-5)

Projected Winner — Nevada

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December 26, 2009—1:00PM
Detroit, Michigan

Marshall (6-6) vs. Ohio (9-4)

Projected Winner — Ohio

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December 26, 2009—4:30PM
Charlotte, North Carolina

No. 17 Pittsburgh (9-3) vs. North Carolina (8-4)

Projected Winner — Pittsburgh

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December 26, 2009—8:30PM
San Francisco, California

Boston College (8-4) vs. No. 24 USC (8-4)

Projected Winner — USC

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December 27, 2009—8:30PM
Nashville, Tennessee

Clemson (8-5) vs. Kentucky (7-5)

Projected Winner — Clemson

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December 28, 2009—5:00PM
Shreveport, Louisiana

Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Georgia (7-5)

Projected Winner — Georgia

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December 29, 2009—4:30PM
Washington, D.C.

UCLA (6-6) vs. Temple (9-3)

Projected Winner — Temple

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December 29, 2009—8:00PM
Orlando, Florida

No. 15 Miami-Fla (9-3) vs. No. 25 Wisconsin (9-3)

Projected Winner — Miami

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December 30, 2009—4:30PM
Boise, Idaho

Idaho (7-5) vs. Bowling Green (7-5)

Projected Winner — Bowling Green

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December 30, 2009—8:00PM
San Diego, California

No. 20 Arizona (8-4) vs. No. 22 Nebraska (9-4)

Projected Winner — Nebraska

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December 31, 2009—12:00PM
Fort Worth, Texas

Houston (10-3) vs. Air Force (7-5)

Projected Winner — Houston

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December 31, 2009—2:00PM
El Paso, Texas

Oklahoma (7-5) vs. No. 21 Stanford (8-4)

Projected Winner — Stanford

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December 31, 2009—3:30PM
Houston, Texas

Navy (9-4) vs. Missouri (8-4)

Projected Winner — Navy

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December 31, 2009—6:00PM
Tempe, Arizona

Minnesota (6-6) vs. Iowa State (6-6)

Projected Winner — Minnestoa

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December 31, 2009—7:30PM
Atlanta, Georgia

No. 11 Virginia Tech (9-3) vs. Tennessee (7-5)

Projected Winner — Virginia Tech

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January 1, 2010—11:00AM
Tampa, Florida

Northwestern (8-4) vs. Auburn (7-5)

Projected Winner — Auburn

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January 1, 2010—1:00PM
Jacksonville, Florida

Florida State (6-6) vs. No. 16 West Virginia (9-3)

Projected Winner — West Virginia

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January 1, 2010—1:00PM
Orlando, Florida

No. 12 Penn State (10-2) vs. No. 13 LSU (9-3)

Projected Winner — Penn State

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January 1, 2010—4:30PM
Pasadena, California

No. 7 Oregon (10-2) vs. No. 8 Ohio State (10-2)

Projected Winner — Ohio State

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January 1, 2010—8:30PM
New Orleans, Louisiana

No. 3 Cincinnati (12-0) vs. No. 5 Florida (12-1)
Projected Winner — Florida

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January 2, 2010—12:00PM
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

South Florida (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (7-5)
Projected Winner — South Florida

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January 2, 2010—2:00PM
Birmingham, Alabama

Connecticut (7-5) vs. South Carolina (7-5)
Projected Winner — South Carolina

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January 2, 2010—2:00PM
Arlington, Texas

No. 19 Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Mississippi (8-4)
Projected Winner — Oklahoma State

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January 2, 2010—5:30PM
Memphis, Tennessee

Arkansas (7-5) vs. East Carolina (9-4)
Projected Winner — Arkansas

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January 2, 2010—9:00PM
San Antonio, Texas

Michigan State (6-6) vs. Texas Tech (8-4)
Projected Winner — Texas Tech

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January 4, 2010—8:00PM
Glendale, Arizona

No. 4 TCU (12-0) vs. No. 6 Boise State (13-0)
Projected Winner — Boise State

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January 5, 2010—8:00PM
Miami, Florida

No. 9 Georgia Tech (11-2) vs. No. 10 Iowa (10-2)
Projected Winner — Georgia Tech

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January 6, 2010—7:00PM
Mobile, Alabama

Central Michigan (11-2) vs. Troy (9-3)
Projected Winner — Central Michigan

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January 7, 2010—8:00PM
Pasadena, California

No. 1 Alabama (13-0) vs. No. 2 Texas (13-0)
Projected Winner — Texas


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