SEC: Passion For Life

Week 6 finds some teams in desperation mode, some in a search for consistency trying to now “manage” the rest of the their season and a select few in careful celebration mode. There is probably no more than three or four teams that feel they are where they thought they would be at this point. Adjustments through injuries, suspensions and low-performance levels are all part of the difficult task of keeping a program moving forward, sometimes rapidly and sometimes slowly.

It is a different world we live in today where the kids’ motivations are very different as well. I hope the new law just passed in California, The Fair Pay to Play Act, and proposed in others never comes to reality. If it does, it may spell the end of what college football looks like as we know it. I’m not going to talk about the details here, but educate yourselves on the new law. The impact could be huge.

I am old school and love kids that play for a school they love because they love the game.

We love you JACK (Mascot)!

Now, on with the show.

Utah State @ No. 5 LSU: The Aggies roll into Baton Rouge, Louisiana on a three-game win streak after dropping their season-opener against Wake Forest. These Aggies have never been an easy kill for any Southeastern Conference team and they won’t be Saturday morning either. The Love (QB Jordan Love) and Bright (RB Gerold Bright) show will do their best to take advantage of the early morning hangovers in Tiger Stadium and leave the faithful wobbling.

Coach “O” will attempt to keep his Bayou Boys focused on the task at hand after blowing the Commodores out of the water and having to get the Gator traps set for next week. “Big Baby” Orgeron knows they can run their own light show with much more intensity than any Aggie bright light. Don’t bet on this being a runaway.

T-Dawg’s Winner: LSU 45–31

No. 7 Auburn @ No. 10 Florida: Gus got his groove on last week against some under-manned pound pups. A trip to the dangerous Swamp is next in the travel brochure. Gus plans to have his Tigers on the prowl for any Gator they can team up on for the kill because he has heard that Gator hunting can be hazardous alone. Tiger claws are very sharp, but so are gator teeth.

Mullenex bullied the Towson Tumbleweeds as a warmup to greeting the Gus Bus. Mullenex is trying to reproduce some of the same shenanigans that he perfected at his last adobe in the west. There is a multitude of things you can do with smoke and mirrors but two are harmful: Get cut by the glass, get burned, or both! This week somebody gets exposed for the pretender they are. Anybody care for some new boots?

T-Dawg’s Winner: Auburn 31–23

Troy @ Missouri: The Trojans will arrive in Columbia, Missouri in the old-fashioned way. Their Trojan horse has already been dismantled and burned, so wagons will unload the troops for battle. The tools of war are not in abundance this year down in the wire grass and fighting off Tigers will be difficult with dried up pine cones.

Barry Odom has his species of tigers devouring whatever crosses their path lately. Kelly Bryant has settled in and has been filling the air with footballs and keeping the ground troops happy as well. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the level of defensive intensity. Whatever habits haven’t been perfected can be worked on over the next month of scrimmage games.

T-Dawg’s Winner: Missouri 47 – 20

No. 3 Georgia @ Tennessee: Jeremy Pruitt is trying to weather the storm that has seemed to stall over Knoxville, Tennessee, continuously dumping misery week after week. Smart must find some way to keep a few of the rifles on target no matter the distractions. The Volunteers are dead last in hitting their targets for offense and Pruitt knows that probably will not improve with nasty Dawgs attacking, but he must hold the fort together and achieve small goals the rest of the way. Just being competitive is a start.

Kirby Smart had his Dawgs spend a week at the Athens Kennel Resort getting groomed and ready for the stretch drive to Atlanta. The first stop is at old Rocky Top where a disorganized band of militia is awaiting the Dawgs’ arrival. Kirby is keenly aware that the Volunteers seem to play rough with any Dawgs that come to Knoxville. The 48-game series is currently tied 23–23–2. Kirby should be “Smart” enough to make sure his tail-wagers aren’t looking at the treats lying dead ahead.

T-Dawg’s Winner: Georgia 51 – 13

Vanderbilt @ TSUN: The Commodores drop anchor in Oxford, Mississippi this week, looking to get a streak going after delivering a bunch of homeless huskies to the shelter last week. Derek Mason has the cannons all loaded and plans to blast “The Grove” to smithereens before sailing away.

Luke’s Minnows were caught “Every which way but Loose” over at Lake Tuscaloosa. A few did escape, though, and ran through promised ground before heading back to Coach Luke’s hatchery to repopulate before the invasion force arrives. There was a report that a bag of various magazines with houses for rent in Tuscaloosa was left on the Minnow’s travel bus.

The winner here still has a remote chance to go to the bowling alley in December, but fish don’t do well bowling unless it is a downward spiral…..

T-Dawg’s Winner: TSUN 35–31

Miss. State @ Open: The Dawgs got back to Stark Vegas in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Tired, bruised and disheartened, they crawled in their houses for a much needed rest. Things always seem darkest just before dawn. This week Jo Mo’s Dawg pound could be seen reviewing a variety of basics, including blocking, tackling, pass routes, pass coverage and workshops on keeping a positive mindset while blocking out negative media. Re-dedication, rebirth and reset will all happen against Open.

Open has now visited every SEC camp except TSUN and Florida. Four were visited last week and six are being visited this week, so it is too early to see how well Open U has done on a totally visitor schedule. The Open “Who” usually catches the best from every team and the DAWGS intend to “In-Pound” the “Who” as a trip to Rocky Top looms dead ahead.

T-Dawg’s Winner: Miss. State !!!!

Hail State!