What's the Fuss?

Here’s the docket for this week’s SEC games.

All Times Central

Game to watch:
Alabama at LSU, 2:30 p.m., CBS - Although the Tigers aren’t in the hunt for the national title, Nick Saban’s return to Baton Rouge, La., may overshadow everything else about this game — including the Crimson Tide’s bid to keep their No. 1 ranking.

The rest:
Georgia at Kentucky, 11:30 p.m. CST, Raycom - The Bulldogs need to keep winning to not give up the East.

Arkansas at South Carolina, noon CST - Will Spurrier see a better game out of quarterback Stephen Garcia? Or will the Hogs keep getting better?

Wyoming at Tennessee, noon CST, PPV-Vol Network - The Vols need to win in the first game after Fulmer announced he’s leaving UT after this season.

Tennessee-Martin at Auburn, 1:30 p.m. - The Tigers need this win more than they think.

Florida at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m., ESPN2 - The Gators can use this game to prove why they’re national championship game worhty. While the Commodores can do what they did in 2006, the last time UF came to Nashville — almost win.

Here’s the docket for this week’s SEC games. My picks for Games of the Week are bolded.

All Times Central

Saturday, Sept. 13
UAB at Tennessee, 11:30 a.m., Raycom - The Volunteers are coming off an upset by UCLA, with a bye week to boot. They have something to prove. Watch out Blazers.

Georgia at South Carolina, 2:30 p.m., CBS - The Bulldogs’ first real test this season. The Gamecocks can’t find a rhythm at quarterback. Georgia is going to try to prove why it should still be No. 1.

Arkansas at Texas, 2:30 p.m., ABC - Postponed until Sept. 27. Thanks, Ike.

Auburn at Mississippi State, 6 p.m., ESPN2 - National title talk is going through Auburn and Mississippi State is already considered a fluke from after last season’s bowl appearance. This could be make or break for the Bulldogs, while the Tigers continue to run a new spread offense to near domination.

Middle Tennessee at Kentucky, 6 p.m. - The Blue Raiders are coming off an upset of Maryland, but the Wildcats’ defense — the only one in the SEC to not allow a TD this season — will quiet all suspects of a BCS crasher.

Samford at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. - The Rebels are mad after losing to Wake Forest Sat-urday in a game they should have won.

Rice at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m. - The Commodores are riding high at 2-0 and an upset of then-No. 24 South Carolina. Let’s just hope they don’t play down to their opponent this week.

Western Kentucky at Alabama, 6:07 p.m., PPV - The Crimson Tide keep on rolling up the polls and will give the Hilltoppers a true welcome to the Bowl Subdivision.

North Texas at LSU, 7 p.m. - The Tigers haven’t played in two weeks and this week’s game nearly got postponed too because of Hurricane Ike. They’re hungry.

In anticipation of evacuations preceding the landfall of Hurrican Gustav, Louisiana State officials have moved the kickoff of the Tigers home opener against Appalachian State to 10 a.m. Saturday.

Gustav is expected to make landfall sometime Monday night, according to the National Hurricane Center.

“Public safety was the overriding concern expressed by all parties when we met with the governor and his staff today,” LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva said Friday. “Ten a.m. is obviously not the optimal time for a football game, but when one of the options was to not play the game at all, this is a matter of making the best of an unfortunate situation.”

The decision was made in consultation with state officials because of an anticipated traffic contraflow, the school announced.

The gates at Tiger Stadium will open at 8 a.m.

Nearly everyone west of the Mississippi River and north of the Mason-Dixon line underestimated LSU heading into Monday’s BCS national championship game.

Even Les Miles’ peers.

In the last regular season USA Today Coaches Poll, released Dec. 2, only 11 of the 60 participating coaches had the Tigers on top of their lists, including Miles.

LSU rolled over its title-game opponent Ohio State, which received 46 first-place votes.
Oklahoma received two of the final three votes with Hawaii earning the other one.

Stoops kept his Big 12 allegiances close, ranking the Sooners first, Ohio State second, Missouri third, Kansas fourth, VT fifth and LSU sixth.

Former Hawaii coach June Jones didn’t vote in the poll.

The disrespecting didn’t end there.

Connecticut coach Randy Edsall voted the Tigers fifth. As did Texas Tech’s Mike Leach and FAU’s Howard Schnellenberger.

The Tigers’ lowest vote came from Stoops.

Their 38-24 win over the Buckeyes, which made LSU the first two-time BCS champion and the first two-loss team to win the crown, must have swayed all the voters.

In the final poll, released Tuesday, LSU received all 60 first-place votes.

LSU head coach Les Miles spoke with the University of Michigan about its vacant football coach position but not as a candidate, he said Tuesday.”I had a conversation with Michigan last week that covered a wide range of topics,” Miles said through a university release. “I was doing nothing more than helping them with their search for a football coach, just as any loyal alumnus might do. It was nothing more than that.” Read the rest of this entry »