Consider this weekend the Southeastern Conference’s equivalent of Armageddon.All four of the conference’s preseason contenders collide Saturday, while two of the top offenses in the country face off when No. 17 Auburn plays Arkansas.
On top of that, two of the nation’s proudest programs, Georgia and Tennessee, will do battle to save their seasons.By the end of Saturday’s festivities, who’s in the driver’s seat, who’s clinging to the back bumper and who can be left by the wayside on the road to Atlanta will all be clearer pictures. GEORGIA VS. TENNESSEETimes are rough for two of the most tradition-heavy teams in the SEC. LSU senior running back Charles Scott’s late-game heroics have the Bulldogs (3-2, 2-1) teetering on the brink of their third loss in early October, a number they aren’t used to so early in the year. Dropping a game against the Volunteers would likely end any and all hopes of a high-profile bowl game.
“It’s certainly a game we need to win,” said Georgia coach Mark Richt in a teleconference. “As I watch them on film, you can tell Tennessee’s on the verge of something big, and we’ve got to get after it.”Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin is 0-2 in conference play in his first year in Knoxville. The Volunteers (2-3, 0-2) have played close — but not close enough — with No. 1 Florida and Auburn. After Georgia, the Vols have games with No. 3 Alabama, No. 25 South Carolina and No. 20 Ole Miss coming in the next four weeks.MALZAHN RETURNS TO FAYETTEVILLEAfter an entire offseason of critics demeaning Auburn, the SEC’s orange Tigers suddenly look pretty scary sitting on the other side of LSU’s bye week.First-year coach Gene Chizik has the Tigers humming at 5-0, with wins against Tennessee and West Virginia. A key part in that success is new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, whose offense is No. 5 in the nation at 512 yards per game. The Tigers had one of the worst offenses in the sport just 10 months ago.Senior quarterback Chris Todd has completed 58 percent of his passes for 12 touchdowns and just one interception, while the Tigers’ tailback duo of senior Ben Tate and freshman Onterio McCalebb have combined for 956 yards and five touchdowns.”It’s two different type of approaches,” Chizik said. “This is a little more suited to our team and our mentality, with being able to run the football being a huge priority for us every week … And of course Gus is really good at what he does.”Malzahn brings the attack to Arkansas this weekend, where he should be fondly remembered for introducing the wildcat offense to Razorback legend Darren McFadden and subsequently the college football world.And the game should be fun for more reasons. The Razorbacks have the nation’s No. 7 passing attack, with sophomore quarterback Ryan Mallett bombing away for 1,148 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The Hogs got outscored in their conference opener against Georgia and were shellacked by the Crimson Tide, 35-7. If that weren’t enough, the Tigers are ranked No. 53 in total defense, while Arkansas sits at 97th.”You have to continue to work on your technique and your fundamentals,” said Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino. “You can’t just worry about X’s and O’s. We really made strides, after the Georgia game, of doing that.”THROWDOWN IN O-TOWNIf Ole Miss had been even remotely successful at keeping the South Carolina defense away from junior quarterback Jevan Snead, the Rebels’ clash with No. 3 Alabama on Saturday would have every bit as much pizzazz as the clash in Death Valley.But the Rebels weren’t.Instead, the No. 20 Rebels (3-1, 1-1) are faced with the challenge of jump-starting their offense against a hot Alabama team boasting one of the nastiest defenses in the game.The No. 3 Crimson Tide (5-0, 2-0) is holding opponents to 222 yards per game. Junior quarterback Greg McElroy is completing 65.5 percent of his passes and has thrown just one pick after many considered him a liability heading into 2009.Then there’s the running game. Though they rank below Florida and Auburn in rushing offense, the Tide have four different tailbacks with more than 100 yards. Sophomore Mark Ingram bulldozed his way to 487 yards in five games, and super-recruit freshman Trent Richardson is averaging six yards per carry for 304 yards and four touchdowns.Ole Miss’ defense should be well-suited to stop the Tide’s attack, as it currently ranks No. 4 in the SEC in rush defense, allowing 114 yards per game.It’s the Rebels’ offense which faces the biggest challenge against Alabama’s defense, the second-ranked unit in the conference.Snead has thrown for a pedestrian 728 yards and nine touchdowns after garnering Heisman hype in the preseason. Even more troubling is the 51.4 completion percentage and five interceptions against inferior competition.With one SEC loss already, the Rebs desperately need a good result to maintain their lofty hopes of making their first SEC championship game.”That’s what makes this game great,” said Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt. “You get knocked down, but you’ve got to get back up.”–Contact David Helman at [email protected]