Georgia Bulldogs News

Each week, Sporting News' Matt Hayes ranks the Division I-A conferences—and the teams within each league. Conf. rankings No. 1 SEC No. 2 Pac-10 No. 3 ACC No. 4 Big 12 No. 5 Big Ten No. 6 Big East Nos. 7-11 1. SEC 1. Florida 2. Alabama 3. LSU... 4. Auburn 5. Tennessee 6. Ole Miss 7. Georgia 8. Arkansas 9. South Carolina 10. Mississippi State 11. Kentucky 12. Vanderbilt Rising Tennessee: Vols navigated a brutal October with a 2-2 record and are easing into the annual November tomato can schedule with a realistic shot at eight victories—if they can win Saturday at Ole Miss. Falling South Carolina: This is it for the Gamecocks. Lose to Florida this week, and it's looking like another 6-6 season and possibly the end of another coach—Steve Spurrier may just give someone else a chance—who can't change the culture of losing. Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.more>>

Sporting News' Matt Hayes analyzes what Wednesday's buzz means to college football. Tim Tebow says the Bulldogs gave as good as they got Saturday. Tebow's coach isn't pleased about that. Clean up the mess Welcome, everyone, to the World's Largest Steel Cage Match. You want dirty? We've got dirty. Earlier this week, when Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes was getting gouged by the court of public opinion for his dirty play in the Georgia game, Florida QB Tim Tebow defended Spikes—an odd moment... for Mr. Clean in such an obvious situation of guilt. But when Tebow said earlier this week that Florida didn't do "anything in that game that (Georgia) didn't do," he wasn't kidding. Florida coach Urban Meyer said on Wednesday's SEC teleconference that he sent tape into the SEC office showing a late hit Tebow sustained against Georgia. The video is just as brutal, perhaps more, as Spikes' fingers in the facemask of Georgia tailback Washaun Ealey.   Meyer said "that should've been a penalty, in my opinion." This, of course, brings us to another sticky situation. It was last week when SEC commissioner Mike Slive told league coaches to stop publicly criticizing officiating—or feel the consequences of a fine or suspension. What does Slive now do with these comments from Meyer: "Obviously it should have been (a penalty). You have to protect the quarterbacks. That's the whole purpose. It's right in front of the referee." All about Bobby Poor Jimbo Fisher. At some point, you start feeling for the Pinata in Waiting. Bobby Bowden took it upon himself during the ACC's weekly teleconference to announce that, yes, he will make the decision on who replaces Mickey Andrews as defensive coordinator. "It's one of those things I'll make the final decision on," Bowden said. "But I'll definitely get (Fisher's) input—and very strongly." That and a quarter will get a ducat to a game at Doak Campbell Stadium, where there were more than 15,000 empty seats for last week's victory over N.C. State. Bottom line: Bowden again is asserting himself—and digging in—to coach the 2010 season. What defensive coordinator would want to step into this mess? Ladies and gentlemen, your new FSU defensive coordinator: Tommy Bowden! Fed to the lions The way Oregon has been canonized this week for rolling an—can we finally say it?—overrated USC defense, you would think Stanford is preparing to play the Indianapolis Colts this weekend at The Farm. And Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh is feeding the masses. Pun intended. Harbaugh said he has been watching a YouTube video of a baby water buffalo that gets attacked by lions and then bitten at by an alligator.  Related Links Spikes asks to sit out full game; Florida obliges News: Meyer says Tebow received cheap shot Cook: The All-Mickey Andrews Team "I don't think we got it as bad as this baby water buffalo, and he was in maybe even a little more of a predicament," Harbaugh said. "He was able to survive, though. So we draw some inspiration from that." Stanford has lost seven straight to Oregon and eight of the last nine. Yet this has the potential to be a classic letdown game for the Ducks after their big win over USC. This story appears in Nov. 5's edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today for free. Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.more>>

Each week, Sporting News' Matt Hayes ranks the Division I-A conferences and the teams within each league. Conf. rankings No. 1 SEC No. 2 Pac-10 No. 3 Big Ten No. 4 ACC No. 5 Big 12 No. 6 Big East Nos. 7-11 1. SEC 1. Florida 2. Alabama 3. LSU 4.... Auburn 5. Tennessee 6. Mississippi 7. South Carolina 8. Georgia 9. Arkansas 10. Mississippi State 11. Kentucky 12. Vanderbilt Rising Tennessee: Lane Kiffin's whining and those putrid black/orange unis overshadow a team beginning to find itself—and heading into a winnable month of November. Falling South Carolina: Arkansas, Florida and Clemson remain. Who else sees another November swoon for the Gamecocks? Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.more>>

Associated Press GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Top-ranked Florida will be without star linebacker Brandon Spikes for the first half of Saturday's game against Vanderbilt. Coach Urban Meyer suspended Spikes on Monday, two days after the defensive captain apparently attempted to gouge the eyes of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey in a 41-17 victory. "I don't condone that," Meyer said. "I understand what goes on on the football (field), but... there's no place for that. We're going to suspend Brandon for the first half of the Vanderbilt game. I spoke with him. That's not who he is. That's not who we are. He got caught up in emotion." Meyer's wife mentioned Spikes' actions to him Sunday night, then defensive coordinator Charlie Strong did the same Monday morning. Meyer's said his first reaction was to move on. Then he saw a replay of the incident, which shows Spikes shoving his glove-covered right hand into Ealey's facemask and moving it back and forth. Meyer then spoke to Spikes and determined he was retaliating after getting his helmet ripped off and eye poked earlier in the game. Meyer also talked to Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive, but Florida officials said it was Meyer's decision to suspend Spikes. The SEC issued a statement saying it reviewed and accepted the discipline handed down by Florida. "We understand the game of football," Meyer said. "Some of us have played it. Very emotional things happened in that game in particular that were not good for either side, but the bottom line is we're Florida and he's Brandon Spikes and we expect certain things. He understands." The Florida-Georgia game was filled with chippy behavior, with pushing, shoving, five personal-foul penalties — three against Georgia and two against Florida — and plenty of smack-talking. Officials even gathered Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Georgia linebacker Marcus Dowtin together in the second quarter and warned them things were getting out of hand. "I don't think that we did anything in that game that they didn't do," Tebow said Monday. "If you go back and look at it and study it, you can see it in the film, too. It was an intense game, both teams were very passionate about it." Spikes is fourth on the team with 42 tackles and has three sacks. He considered entering the NFL draft in January, but decided to return for his senior season in hopes of helping Florida win a third national title in four years. But he's battled injuries all season. He missed time early in the season because of an Achilles' tendon injury, and sat out most of two games because of a strained groin. He played only a series against Arkansas on Oct. 17 and sat out the entire game the following week. He returned against Georgia and finished with a team-high 10 tackles. He also intercepted a pass and returned it 5 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. "He's very intense and very emotional and very passionate," Tebow said. "I think that's what makes him part of the great player that he is because he brings that fire. People look at him and the defense wants to play for him. The offense, they want to score so it makes it easier on him. "He brings fire and he brings juice to everybody. Without that, he would not be as great of a player as he is, and he would not be even close to the leader that he is." Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.more>>

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — This time it was the dark, depressed visiting locker room in Starkville, Miss., where it all unfolded. Tim Tebow feels a little heat from a fellow team leader, and the result is a dominating win over Georgia. There were Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes, two players who have meant more to Florida football than anyone over the last four years, in a heated exchange at a crossroads moment. The team's two stars in a verbal fight—no one is revealing exactly what was said—then... spinning their fury on teammates. This is your resolution: Florida 41, Georgia 17. "We came together, me and him," Spikes said. "Got the team together and we kind of got things right." Did they ever.   If Florida finds a way back to the national championship game, if the team that has somehow made ugly look pretty all these weeks, turns it on again and wins its third national championship in four years, it can point to yet another Mississippi Moment. Last year, it was The Promise from Tebow after the loss to Mississippi. Last week, it was the Starkville Statement. "Things weren't getting done the way we expected," Spikes said. "We may have stepped on a few toes." So while Georgia tried to motivate by prancing around in fancy new black pants and helmets, Florida held a passionate team meeting the night before in the team hotel, where coach Urban Meyer's fiery, R-rated speech was like throwing napalm on a grease fire. Tebow, 2008: "You will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season." Spikes, 2009: "What's your value to the team?" With that backdrop of emotion and motivation as fuel, the top-ranked Gators went out and played their best game of the season. The team that was in a funk for half the season, that was ranked No. 1 but wasn't playing like No. 1, reasserted itself on two significant levels: as the leader in the SEC, and as the leader in the race for the national title. And guess who's back in the Heisman Trophy hunt. After throwing two interceptions for touchdowns against Mississippi State, Tebow threw two touchdowns passes and ran for two more and grabbed a suddenly shaky season by the throat and squeezed life into it. Spikes, for his part, returned one of four Florida interceptions for a touchdown. The Florida Fog is now the Florida Focus. Thanks to—of all things—a little controversy between the team's biggest stars. "Brandon is an emotional guy," Tebow said. "I think he has been frustrated because of his injuries." And because of the way the Gators have played this fall. That all changed against Georgia. From Riley Cooper's one-handed touchdown catch, to Caleb Sturgis' 56-yard field goal to a plus-four turnover ratio, the Gators are beginning to find their groove. It helped that Georgia, in the middle of its worst season under coach Mark Richt, was playing the role of punching bag. After 17 losses in the last 20 games in this bitter rivalry, Georgia has been reduced to jabbering and jawing, and surprising jersey color combinations. Schemes and fundamentals win games; wearing black pants and black helmets for the first time in school history lasts for the 30 seconds it takes to run out of the tunnel.   A minute later, Florida began a methodical six-play, 80-yard drive that finished with a perfectly thrown touchdown pass from Tebow to Cooper. It only got worse from there.   Earlier in the week, Meyer had Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan talk to the team about the pressures of repeating. The basketball Gators won back-to-back championships earlier this decade, and Donovan's message was simple: stick together. Late in the fourth quarter, while Georgia players took out frustrations by starting a scrum, Tebow was on the sidelines with Meyer, smiling and hugging and celebrating another victory in the Cocktail Party. Related Links Recap: Tebow, Gators dominate Bulldogs Tebow breaks Walker's SEC rushing mark "It's a very emotional locker room in there," Meyer said moments later as he stepped to the podium. "This was one of the best team wins we've had at Florida." A stark contrast to the end of the Mississippi State game a week ago, when a clearly frustrated Tebow was inconsolable—only minutes before the moment overwhelmed he and Spikes.   And we all saw what happened the last time this team was staring at the brink.  Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.more>>

Attention folks in the Providence area: Don't be frightened later this afternoon if Bobby Bowden starts popping up and passing out candy to the area children. Yeah, he's supposed to be busy in Tallahassee trying to supervise his Florida State Seminoles against N.C. State. But the guy's been coaching since the Taft Administration, right? So maybe he can pull off two places at once. "You really think I look like him?" Grams B asked Thursday afternoon. Well, maybe it's the other way around.... Between his folksy personality and jowly looks, Bowden always seemed like the guy who could be bringing a pitcher of lemonade to the table. With sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat, Grams is a ringer. She hopes, however, that her Saturday luck continues to be better than Bowden's. Here are this week's selections, all straight up. No. 1 Florida vs. Georgia at Jacksonville, 3:30 p.m., CBS The skinny: Grams never liked neutral site games; kitchens and home cooking always trumped restaurants. But Tim Tebow loves playing in his backyard, and unless the Jags draft him, it might be his last game there for a while. Grams B: Florida, 33-10 Dave: Florida, 34-17 No. 12 Penn State at Northwestern, 4:30 p.m., ESPN The skinny: Why not JoePa as a costume? "I'm not that old," Grams said. "It's tougher for me to look like that." Painting herself purple, which figures to be popular at Ryan Field today, didn't score points with her, either. Grams B: Penn State, 37-21 Dave: Northwestern, 24-21 No. 21 South Carolina at Tennessee, 7:45 p.m., ESPN The skinny: The SEC used to be about great players and better football. Now, it's defined by field goals and whining about the officiating. "I don't like it when they complain about the refs," Grams said. So shut up, guys, and figure out this red zone stuff. Grams B: South Carolina, 24-17 Dave: Tennessee, 16-10 No. 3 Texas at No. 13 Oklahoma State, 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN2 The skinny: Time for the Cowboys to bust some ghosts. UT has won 11 straight in the series, including a fourth-quarter rally from 35-14 down two years ago in Stillwater. "It sounds like Oklahoma (State) can't beat those guys," Grams said. Related Links Key conference could get wrapped up Hayes' Week 9 story lines Hayes' Week 9 picks Sporting News expert picks Spotlight game: Texas vs. Oklahoma St. Spotlight game: USC vs. Oregon Grams B: Texas, 44-21 Dave: Texas, 30-20 No. 4 USC at No. 10 Oregon, 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN2 The skinny: Every Ducks game ends up a color war—how about tie-dye tonight against the Trojans? Seriously, it's crazy that with all the debate around the unbeatens, the day's biggest game (this one) features two one-loss teams. Grams B: Oregon, 38-24 Dave: USC, 28-23 Last week Grams B: 3-2 Dave: 3-2 Season Grams B: 26-14 Dave: 19-21 Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.more>>

It's fitting that college football and Halloween intersect Saturday. After all, what provides more tricks than the BCS? As the day wears on, though, some of the nation's top programs could find themselves with sweet treats. Here's a look at what to watch between apple bobs: No. 1 Florida vs. Georgia, 3:30 p.m., CBS If Georgia manages to pull the upset of No. 1 Florida, it will be thanks to its defense. What it means: Florida clinches the SEC East with a victory in Jacksonville, Fla., and a... South Carolina loss at Tennessee. Halloween theme: Pranks. Two years ago, every Bulldog stormed the field to celebrate an early TD. Last year, Florida coach Urban Meyer called late timeouts to rub in a 49-10 win. How Georgia wins: The Dawgs regrouped during a bye week, and they boast the talent to keep the Gators' offense in a statistical slump. "That's as good as defensive personnel as there is in college football," Meyer said of Georgia on a teleconference. No. 3 Texas at No 13 Oklahoma State, 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN2 What it means: The winner takes sole possession first place in the Big 12 South; Texas should roll to the conference title game if it survives Stillwater. Halloween theme: Eeriness. A year ago this weekend, the undefeated Longhorns lost at upstart Texas Tech on a last-second touchdown. "Everything is similar," Texas coach Mack Brown said on a teleconference. "It's a very good team. … It's a game they've been looking forward to all year." How Oklahoma State wins: Even with star WR Dez Bryant suspended, Cowboys QB Zac Robinson and his strong offensive line can hang with Texas' top-ranked scoring offense. No. 4 USC at No. 10 Oregon, 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN2 Related Links Hayes' Week 9 story lines Hayes' Week 9 picks Picks: Dave Curtis vs. Grams Sporting News expert picks Spotlight game: Texas vs. Oklahoma St. Spotlight game: USC vs. Oregon What it means: The winner emerges as the Pac-10 favorite and the one-loss team best positioned to reach the BCS national championship game. Halloween theme: Haunted houses. Autzen Stadium hosts one of the nation's rowdiest crowds, and the Ducks beat the Trojans 24-17 there in 2007. How Oregon wins: QB Jeremiah Masoli. If his performance matches the Cal game (21 of 25, three TDs), Ducks win. If he puts up another Utah stinker (4-for-16, 1 INT), USC rolls. Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.more>>

Each week, Sporting News' Matt Hayes ranks the Division I-A conferences and the teams within each league. Conf. rankings No. 1 Pac-10 No. 2 SEC No. 3 ACC No. 4 Big East No. 5 Big Ten No. 6 Big 12 Nos. 7-11 2. SEC 1. Alabama 2. Florida 3. LSU... 4. South Carolina 5. Ole Miss 6. Tennessee 7. Georgia 8. Arkansas 9. Auburn 10. Kentucky 11. Mississippi State 12. Vanderbilt Rising Ole Miss: QB Jevan Snead is playing with more confidence, and the offense is playing with more emotion. And a stout defense finally gets some help. Falling Auburn: Five straight wins followed by three straight losses—and No.4 on the way this weekend against surging Ole Miss. Thankfully, there's Furman on Nov. 7. Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.more>>

Sporting News staff reports Georgia linebacker Charles White wasn't getting playing time so he was moved last week to fullback. Now, there's talk that sophomore running back Richard Samuel, the Bulldogs' starter for the first six games, will switch to linebacker, according to the Athens Banner-Herald. Georgia coach Mark Richt said the move could happen, but that it would be the offseason before it happened. "I don't know if we're at the... point right now where we're ready to say that he should move and we really haven't taken the time to try to evaluate that," the paper reported Richt saying at the Touchdown Club of Atlanta. Samuel was all-state at linebacker at Cass High School in Cartersville, Ga.more>>

Each week, Sporting News' Matt Hayes ranks the Division I-A conferences—and the teams within each league. 1. SEC 1. Alabama 2. Florida 3. LSU 4. South Carolina 5. Ole Miss 6. Arkansas 7. Tennessee 8. Georgia 9. Auburn 10. Kentucky 11. Mississippi State 12. Vanderbilt Rising Alabama: So QB Greg McElroy has struggled in two straight games. Big deal. No one has stopped Alabama's running game, or had success against the Tide defense. Falling Auburn: Here, everyone, is... reality after the feel-good 5-0 start: losing to Kentucky—and a backup quarterback—for the first time since 1966.more>>

Sporting News college football columnist Matt Hayes weighs in on the five biggest story lines of Week 7: 1. Sam's status With one well-thought, rational decision last winter, Sam Bradford turned down millions and the prestige of being selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft. And he may do it again. Earlier this week, Bradford was asked if he'd consider returning to Oklahoma next year for his senior season. He missed most of the first four games of the season with a sprained AC joint in his... shoulder, and while he was gone, the dynamics of his career drastically changed. Not only will his shoulder injury -- and how he plays since returning from the injury -- become a serious question with NFL scouts, other quarterbacks (seniors and draft eligible juniors) are quickly moving up draft boards, and Bradford may not be the lock for the top spot that he was last April. That's why Saturday's Red River Rivalry is so important. Bradford said "maybe" when asked if he would return next year, and it's easy to see why: His injury this fall could've cost him unless he plays at a high level over the second half of the season. Even then, the specter of the shoulder injury -- healed or not—will force some teams to back off. And here's where the Texas game enters the picture. What better way to show NFL personnel that the shoulder injury isn't an issue than by playing big in a big game? If Bradford plays well and the Sooners beat No. 3 Texas, and he then builds on the performance in the ensuing weeks, he could do enough to vault right back to that No.1 spot in next year's draft. If he struggles against the Longhorns -- the only big game remaining in the regular season for the Sooners -- and takes the remainder of the season to find his groove, others could pass him, including Texas' Colt McCoy and Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen. In the latter scenario, it may just be worth it (monetarily and physically) for Bradford to return for his senior season. The other side, of course, is what happens if he returns to OU and gets hurt again? The decision likely will rest on the health of his shoulder. If he doesn't need surgery at the end of the season, I would expect him to leave for the NFL. If he does need surgery, he has no option but to return. This game against Texas, though, is the first step. 2. Theory, schmeory There's this theory floating around that the now legendary fourth-and-9 pass from Matt Leinart to Dwayne Jarrett in 2005 sucked the very life from a Notre Dame program that hasn't been the same since the last-minute loss to USC. Golden Tate give Irish an edge at wide receiver. You can have theories and hypotheses and boogiemen. I'll take players. USC has given ND its longest losing streak in the series for one reason and one reason only: better players. Only now, the gap is closing. USC still has an advantage on defense, but offensively, the Irish are just as talented -- and in some areas, more talented. ND has the better quarterback (Clausen), tight end (Kyle Rudolph) and receiver (Golden Tate). And although there's little question Joe McKnight is the most talented skill player on the field, there's something to be said for a tailback (Armando Allen) that can give you 20-25 carries a game, move the pile and not fumble. USC's offensive line is terrific; ND's isn't far behind. Like the last seven years, USC has better overall talent this time around. But the Irish are closer to the Trojans (in terms of talent) than they've ever been under coach Charlie Weis. More talent and a ton of motivation can go a long way. 3. The letdown Welcome, everyone to Letdown Central. The stars of our potential white-knuckle weekend: No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Alabama, No. 11 Iowa. How many times have we seen this in the emotion-fueled game of college football? A big win the previous week, a letdown of huge proportions the following week. more>>

Sporting News staff reports Georgia's athletic department declined a bid to move the 2011 Georgia-Georgia Tech game to the Georgia Dome for the season-opener, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. "A good idea that didn't work out," Atlanta Sports Council president Gary Stokan told the AJC. "You got to try." Georgia athletics director Damon Evans explained the decision in a statement. "After careful consideration, we did not think in... the final analysis it was in the best interest of our football program. I think the most significant factor was that we did not want to ... make a change in the current home-game rotation with Georgia Tech." Georgia Tech had expressed interest in moving the 2011 game, which had been scheduled for Bobby Dodd Stadium in late November, to the Georgia Dome for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in early September, according to the report. However, Tech would have wanted the 2012 game to be played at Bobby Dodd rather than Athens, as currently scheduled.more>>