The Week 8 Misery Index
Maybe you clicked the video. Watch again. Cunningham starts on the inside but works his way out to make the play on a sweep. He has tons of ability, but this play is about how badly he wanted it. Zach Cunningham with 19 tackles Saturday! He's now second in the nation in tackles for loss.
Last week's index was, well, too careful. We don't get much credit for recognizing that Tennessee was good but not good enough. We said, "Here’s my thought: Neither Tennessee nor A&M is all that great, and Bama is going to just drill the Vols." And we almost had the guts to call Vandy's upset of Georgia: "This team might be kinda good, it might be mediocre, or it might even be pretty bad. I’m leaning toward pretty bad, as Georgia really hasn’t accomplished anything meaningful this year. I’m not calling a Vandy upset, but this is the kind of situation…."
No more caution this week. We'll go down swinging.
1. Georgia. Now we know. We never should have been talking up Eason's legend, Uncle Verne. He'll do fine, but he's not ready yet. You have to wonder: Is anybody missing Mark Richt? Because Kirby inherited some talent, and it's not coming through.
2. Tennessee can go 6-0 in the SEC East, and probably will, but because they drew A&M and Bama in the West, they might not win their division. That's a shame. We could watch Bama pants them again. But Florida still faces its two West opponents, and one loss will send the Vols back to their public whuppin'. Count on it: Tennessee plays Alabama in the Championship Game, where things are almost as ugly the second time.
3. Ole Miss couldn't close out Arkansas, and that's miserable. All of their goals for the season are done. Let's see how they hold up. I still think they're an elite team, but they have some ugly matchups ahead.
4. Too bad, State. You did good against BYU on a tough road trip, but you couldn't finish it.
5. Mizzou, ouch. Just a reminder that the bottom of the conference is the bottom of the conference.
6. Carolina didn't play, and we're all happy.
7. Kentucky didn't play, either. Their path to a bowl is very skinny, and obviously they're not a good team. I've been saying Stoops can't survive, and I'll stick with that.
8. Auburn didn't play and faces Arkansas this week. This is a huge test for both teams. Here's guessing that Auburn's defense is too much for Arkansas, now that Auburn has figured out an offensive identity. It won't be as easy as the point spread suggests, but Arky had a huge win last week. Hard to do it twice....
9. Florida keeps beating bad teams. That's all you can really say about the Gators.
10. Tied 10-10 at halftime, LSU fans had to be concerned. Grieving Mike, they were all tied up with Southern Miss. Yeah, well. LSU is the SEC's mystery team at the moment. Immensely talented, now with a QB who can run their offense and a head coach who lets out the leash. And jeepers, look at their schedule: they host Ole Miss and Alabama before visiting Arkansas, then the Florida makeup is at home before a final visit to A&M. Without a doubt, LSU is the team who can mess up people's year. Count on it: LSU is gonna make a couple of teams cry.
11. Vandy is very, very happy. We've been saying all along that Vandy has an A-level defense and would be just fine with OK play at QB. It's still true, but now it's obvious. The Dores are also competitive on special teams. That's rare because special teams is where talent and depth are most apparent. Derek Mason may have saved his job with a clear sign of progress. He swears the offense looks good in practice. Maybe, just maybe, things will click. If so, Mason will build himself a program at Vandy. Wouldn't that be sweet?
12. A&M didn't play, as they rested up for Bama. Had Tennessee forced Bama to sweat, A&M might pose a threat. Count on it: Bama has way too much for the Aggies. A&M is especially strong at defensive end, but Bama has the talent and the schemes to neutralize that threat. A&M was the prettiest set of receivers you'll ever see, but their QB is a bit inconsistent in getting them the ball. The one thing A&M has that will annoy Alabama is that Knight has a way of breaking off nice runs on third down. But this one gets ugly pretty quick.
13. Arkansas is a bit of a mystery, too. They have a way of biting really good teams, as Ole Miss found out (again) Saturday night. And they can be exposed: just not as physical as they used to be. Auburn, Florida, and LSU await. How much bacon can the Hogs deliver?
14. Alabama loves beating Tennessee. When their fans are smart, and it ain't often, they tweak Auburn folk by saying Tennessee's the bigger rivalry. Could you tell how much Alabama loves beating Tennessee?
BONUS: This is no scoop exactly, but when you have the ball, Alabama is more likely to score than you are. Bama scored two more non-offensive touchdowns Saturday: an interception and a punt return. That's 11 for the year. Take away the Ole Miss game and all of Bama's offensive scores, and Alabama has outscored its opponents for the season. I have no idea what the record is, but Alabama has scored more on D and special teams than South Carolina has scored, total.
DOUBLE BAMA BONUS: If you really want to appreciate the quality of Alabama's program, check out #10, linebacker Reuben Foster. Playing for Auburn High School, he was one of the most elite recruits in the country. Foster committed to play for Auburn University, even getting a big tattoo to show it. But at the last minute, he turned traitor and signed with Alabama. And he paid the price. He was a special teams terror as a freshman, a dangerous member of the rotation as a sophomore, second fiddle to Reggie Ragland as a junior, and now a sure-fire first round pick in the NFL draft. Every other Bama linebacker is headed for the NFL too. Their talent level is magnificent, so is their depth, and the coaching is obvious when you watch them play. Reuben Foster, everybody.
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