Week 6 Random Observations

The loss of Coutu won't be too bad for UGA on field goals, as Andy Bailey is a solid replacement, but the dropoff on kickoffs looks like it will be severe. I'm pretty sure the new kid only got 1 to the endzone all night, and just barely at that. Two or three different times the Tennessee returner caught the kickoff at his 15 yard line, which just isn't cutting it in major college football. Get that kid to the buffet, stat.

I read somewhere that before Ole Miss UGA had not had a punt blocked since 1999, and now it has happened 3 times in 2 games. WTF?

I knew it was a fool's errand to bet on The Zooker. When they were up 25-7 I was thinking "if anyone can screw this up, it's Zook." Sure enough, they came from way ahead to lose outright 32-34. Hopefully I will never be stupid enough to bet on him again.

Both Zook and UGA came from ahead to lose, but both of those leads were late in the 2nd quarter. The real John L Smith Meltdown Of The Week came courtesy of Wake Forest. They were up 17-3 starting the 4th quarter. Not only that, they were kicking a field goal to go up 20-3 when Clemson blocked it, returned it for a TD, and went on a 24-0 run to hand Wake a 17-27 home loss.

I never thought this could happen, but thanks to Cal busting out the bright yellow, Oregon played a game in which their uniforms were more normal and pleasing to the eye than their opponent. It actually made the game tricky to watch, because at first glance all night you thought the teams were each other; after watching Oregon in the bright yellow for the last few years it gave the game a serious bizarro-world feel.


Welcome to bizarro world.

Speaking of the Cal game, I have been amazed by under-the-radar uber WR stud DeSean Jackson of Cal for some time. Only a sophomore, he now has 18 touchdowns in 17 games played at Cal (15 receiving, 3 punt returns). He is every bit as good as Calvin Johnson, Ginn, Jr, Jarrett, or anyone else, but gets relatively little hype. He's not even the most hyped WR in the PAC 10 (Jarrett, SC), but methinks he is the best.

A good while after the Georgia game was over on Saturday night, I saw on the ticker NTEX 22 FLA INT'L 22 6OT and that the game was still in progress. I thought "wow, they must have been like 3-3 at the end of regulation". I looked online only to find out that regulation ended 16-16, and that the two teams had only managed to kick 4 FGs between them in 12 overtime possessions. Wacky. The MeanJoeGreenes went on to win 25-22 in the 7th overtime in which the teams failed to score at all in 9 of their 14 overtime possessions. Each kicker missed 4 field goals in the overtime alone. This has to be the wackiest, craziest, most bizarre game in CFB since the OT rule was instituted. Too bad it wasn't on GamePlan.

Does Arkansas practice on a practice field or out in the street? For the 2nd week in a row Houston Nutt used a play not seen outside of a 4th grade after school sandlot game. Last week against Alabama was this little beauty, which he tried not in the first quarter but in the last two minutes of a tie game. Then against Auburn he drew this one up on the palm of his hand. I can see Nutt presiding over the Razorbacks practice in the streets of Fayetteville, yelling "CAR!" occasionally and having everyone stop and go to the side of the road until the car passes. Between the trick plays, the punter's crazy prekick pose and Houston Nutt's general nuttiness, it's hard not to pull for the Razorbacks.


The Razorbacks yogini punter.

At this point it may seem unlikely, but if at any point during the Cocktail Party Georgia somehow gets ahead of Florida, I hope our players will be smart enough NOT to taunt the Gators with the mock Gator Chomp. A Tennessee player did it when they were up on Florida in the 4th quarter and went on to lose. An Alabama player did it when they went up on Florida, and they went on to lose. Not to be outdone, an LSU dude did it yet again on Saturday when they were ahead, and they went on to lose. As much as hate them and their chomp, please do not mock it, as it seems when you do, you do so at your own peril.