GatorsGal
Beach Comber
OK People - let's see your score predictions!
ALABAMA (9-0, 5-0 SEC West; vs. LSU at Baton Rouge): The good news for Alabama is that Mount Cody is back just in time for the LSU game. Alabama will need 6-5, 365-pound Terrance Cody at nose tackle to try to put a half to LSU?s stud tailback Charles Scott, who has 33 carries for 258 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games and 889 yards (6.7 yards per carry) on the season. If Cody can collapse one side of the offensive line like he was doing before he had his knee rolled up under him, then Alabama is going to have a very good chance to stuff the LSU running game. The entire Alabama defensive plan will be stuff Scott and force freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee to win the game with his arm. Lee has had some moments of brilliance this year but his 12 touchdown passes --- very good total for a freshman --- are offset by 10 interceptions, three of which have been returned for touchdowns. The critical matchup in this game should be Mt. Cody against LSU center Brett Helms and 6-7, 374-pound Herman Johnson when Cody lines up in the A-gap on Helms? left side. If Cody can beat the double team, then Alabama will roll and win this game. If the LSU double team is successful, then Alabama could be in for some tough sledding on defense ? There are some real concerns in the Bama camp that the Crimson Tide just might be a tad over-rated. The signature wins on the schedule so far are Clemson, which has fired its coach and is the nation?s most over-rated team, and a Georgia team that Florida exposed last week in Jacksonville. Sure, Alabama is undefeated but the Tide struggled to beat a Kentucky team that Florida obliterated 63-5 and in the second half against Georgia, the Bama defense gave up 30 points. There are some real concerns that if LSU brings it?s A-game Saturday night that the dream of an undefeated season has a really good chance to go down the tubes ? Expect LSU to gamble that its corners can stop John Parker Wilson to Julio Jones (33 catches, 504 yards and four touchdowns) with bump and run coverage, allowing the Tigers to play eight in the box to try to stop the Alabama running game. Alabama?s running game nets 205.3 yards per game, which is best in the SEC and 18th best in the country, but the passing game is anemic, ranking 11th in the SEC and 102nd nationally (163.7 yards per game). While there is something to be said about Alabama not needing to throw the ball because the running game is so good, what happens when a team finds a way to stuff the run? ? Alabama ranks number 61 nationally in total offense but on defense, the Tide is second in the SEC (South Carolina is first) and fourth nationally, allowing 251.4 yards per game. Alabama is sixth in the country in scoring defense (12.2 points per game) and second in the SEC (Florida leads at 11.6 points per game) ? Rahim Alem leads the SEC in sacks (6.0) In eight games, Alem's six sacks have accounted for 48 yards in losses.
LSU (6-2, 3-2 SEC West; vs. Alabama at Baton Rouge): Will the return of former LSU coach Nick Saban to Baton Rouge be enough to inspire LSU to play better against the run? The Tigers have been gashed for big yards by both Florida and Georgia in their last two SEC games and now they face Saban?s Alabama team, which doesn?t even make an effort to disguise what it?s trying to do. The Crimson Tide is going to line up and try to blow opponents off the ball, controlling both the clock and the flow of the game with their big offensive line and that three-headed monster at tailback (Glen Coffee, Mark Ingram and Roy Upchurch), which has combined to rush for 1,762 yards and 19 touchdowns. Alabama will direct most of its running plays to the left side behind 6-4, 340-pound Andre Smith, who is expected to bolt for the NFL where he could be a top-10 pick this spring. Critical for LSU will be the play of middle linebacker Darry Beckwith, healthy for a change and LSU?s top tackler. Beckwith is one of many fifth-year seniors at LSU that were recruited to Baton Rouge by Saban. Beckwith calls Saban ?Saint Nicholoas.? This is also a step up and be counted game for defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois. The defensive MVP in last year?s national championship game, Ricky Jean has been a no-show in 2008. Part of it can be blamed on nagging injuries, but you have to wonder if he?s really all that good or if he simply benefitted from playing next to Glen Dorsey last year. Marlon Favorite is a very good defensive tackle with NFL potential but he isn?t Dorsey and he hasn?t commanded the double teams the way Dorsey did so left to fend for himself without any help, Ricky Jean has been shooting a lot of blanks this season ? Another reason for the dropoff for LSU from a national championship team to one that is trying to find an identity two thirds of the way through the season is turnovers. LSU has given the ball away 13 times but in eight games, the Tigers have created just eight turnovers ? While Alabama?s defensive game plan is simply make Jarrett Lee win the game, LSU?s game plan will be to stuff the run so that quarterback John Parker Wilson is forced to beat the Tigers with his arm. Wilson has thrown for a very pedestrian 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns this season but he hasn?t been put in a position that he has to come up big with his arm to win a game for the Crimson Tide. Watch LSU go eight in the box and take its chances with corners that have been torched early and often, forcing Wilson to win a game ... LSU has done a decent job of protecting the quarterback this year. The Tigers have allowed only 10 sacks through eight games. Getting to the quarterback has been a problem, however. The Tigers have sacked quarterbacks just 18 times in eight games. Quite a contrast from last year when LSU was one of the best teams in the country getting to the passer ? LSU?s defense ranks 21st nationally but only sixth in the SEC in total defense (297.3 yards per game) ? Colt David is the school's all-time leading scorer with 329 points, sixth in SEC history. David has kicked 46 field goals during his career, third-most in LSU history ? Coach Les Miles (fourth season at LSU) has a career of 40-8 (.833
ALABAMA (9-0, 5-0 SEC West; vs. LSU at Baton Rouge): The good news for Alabama is that Mount Cody is back just in time for the LSU game. Alabama will need 6-5, 365-pound Terrance Cody at nose tackle to try to put a half to LSU?s stud tailback Charles Scott, who has 33 carries for 258 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games and 889 yards (6.7 yards per carry) on the season. If Cody can collapse one side of the offensive line like he was doing before he had his knee rolled up under him, then Alabama is going to have a very good chance to stuff the LSU running game. The entire Alabama defensive plan will be stuff Scott and force freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee to win the game with his arm. Lee has had some moments of brilliance this year but his 12 touchdown passes --- very good total for a freshman --- are offset by 10 interceptions, three of which have been returned for touchdowns. The critical matchup in this game should be Mt. Cody against LSU center Brett Helms and 6-7, 374-pound Herman Johnson when Cody lines up in the A-gap on Helms? left side. If Cody can beat the double team, then Alabama will roll and win this game. If the LSU double team is successful, then Alabama could be in for some tough sledding on defense ? There are some real concerns in the Bama camp that the Crimson Tide just might be a tad over-rated. The signature wins on the schedule so far are Clemson, which has fired its coach and is the nation?s most over-rated team, and a Georgia team that Florida exposed last week in Jacksonville. Sure, Alabama is undefeated but the Tide struggled to beat a Kentucky team that Florida obliterated 63-5 and in the second half against Georgia, the Bama defense gave up 30 points. There are some real concerns that if LSU brings it?s A-game Saturday night that the dream of an undefeated season has a really good chance to go down the tubes ? Expect LSU to gamble that its corners can stop John Parker Wilson to Julio Jones (33 catches, 504 yards and four touchdowns) with bump and run coverage, allowing the Tigers to play eight in the box to try to stop the Alabama running game. Alabama?s running game nets 205.3 yards per game, which is best in the SEC and 18th best in the country, but the passing game is anemic, ranking 11th in the SEC and 102nd nationally (163.7 yards per game). While there is something to be said about Alabama not needing to throw the ball because the running game is so good, what happens when a team finds a way to stuff the run? ? Alabama ranks number 61 nationally in total offense but on defense, the Tide is second in the SEC (South Carolina is first) and fourth nationally, allowing 251.4 yards per game. Alabama is sixth in the country in scoring defense (12.2 points per game) and second in the SEC (Florida leads at 11.6 points per game) ? Rahim Alem leads the SEC in sacks (6.0) In eight games, Alem's six sacks have accounted for 48 yards in losses.
LSU (6-2, 3-2 SEC West; vs. Alabama at Baton Rouge): Will the return of former LSU coach Nick Saban to Baton Rouge be enough to inspire LSU to play better against the run? The Tigers have been gashed for big yards by both Florida and Georgia in their last two SEC games and now they face Saban?s Alabama team, which doesn?t even make an effort to disguise what it?s trying to do. The Crimson Tide is going to line up and try to blow opponents off the ball, controlling both the clock and the flow of the game with their big offensive line and that three-headed monster at tailback (Glen Coffee, Mark Ingram and Roy Upchurch), which has combined to rush for 1,762 yards and 19 touchdowns. Alabama will direct most of its running plays to the left side behind 6-4, 340-pound Andre Smith, who is expected to bolt for the NFL where he could be a top-10 pick this spring. Critical for LSU will be the play of middle linebacker Darry Beckwith, healthy for a change and LSU?s top tackler. Beckwith is one of many fifth-year seniors at LSU that were recruited to Baton Rouge by Saban. Beckwith calls Saban ?Saint Nicholoas.? This is also a step up and be counted game for defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois. The defensive MVP in last year?s national championship game, Ricky Jean has been a no-show in 2008. Part of it can be blamed on nagging injuries, but you have to wonder if he?s really all that good or if he simply benefitted from playing next to Glen Dorsey last year. Marlon Favorite is a very good defensive tackle with NFL potential but he isn?t Dorsey and he hasn?t commanded the double teams the way Dorsey did so left to fend for himself without any help, Ricky Jean has been shooting a lot of blanks this season ? Another reason for the dropoff for LSU from a national championship team to one that is trying to find an identity two thirds of the way through the season is turnovers. LSU has given the ball away 13 times but in eight games, the Tigers have created just eight turnovers ? While Alabama?s defensive game plan is simply make Jarrett Lee win the game, LSU?s game plan will be to stuff the run so that quarterback John Parker Wilson is forced to beat the Tigers with his arm. Wilson has thrown for a very pedestrian 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns this season but he hasn?t been put in a position that he has to come up big with his arm to win a game for the Crimson Tide. Watch LSU go eight in the box and take its chances with corners that have been torched early and often, forcing Wilson to win a game ... LSU has done a decent job of protecting the quarterback this year. The Tigers have allowed only 10 sacks through eight games. Getting to the quarterback has been a problem, however. The Tigers have sacked quarterbacks just 18 times in eight games. Quite a contrast from last year when LSU was one of the best teams in the country getting to the passer ? LSU?s defense ranks 21st nationally but only sixth in the SEC in total defense (297.3 yards per game) ? Colt David is the school's all-time leading scorer with 329 points, sixth in SEC history. David has kicked 46 field goals during his career, third-most in LSU history ? Coach Les Miles (fourth season at LSU) has a career of 40-8 (.833
you, a BAMA fan?
