Every year, there's the talk about whoever loses the Georgia-South Carolina game is almost doomed to a disappointing season.
Considering South Carolina's history and its record in this series, well, yeah. USCE entered Saturday 535-536-44 all-time, and down 46-14-2 in this matchup, in 116 seasons.
But with Florida en route to becoming a surprising disappointment, the door looks to be wide open in the SEC East.
And the loser of USCE-UGA is still very much in it, because it's looking like both can beat Florida at this point.
Certainly the Gators will make adjustments and get better, but boy, they sure look more vulnerable than in awhile.
The USCE-UGA winner is guaranteed nothing except a 1-0 SEC start, and the loser only an 0-1 mark.
As long as the loser gets out healthy and having played a decent game, it's very much still in the hunt.
The loser has never played in the SEC title game. Don't be surprised if that changes this year, regardless of whom.
GAMEDAY LOUGHDMOUTHINGS
(First half)
USCE's game-opening drive was absolutely remarkable. Well-executed and helped by poor tackling.
Was Rashad Jones giving tips during the week at Georgia? ...
It's not halftime yet and safe to say Florida is surrendering its spot as favorite in the SEC East.
South Florida rolled down the field on the Gators for a 17-play, 96-yard scoring drive. At the swamp.
SEC teams don't do that. And SEC teams don't shut out Florida in the Swamp for 29-plus minutes of the first half, at least not since the pre-Spurrier Era. And maybe some Zook. ...
One of our most annoying phrases: "Youth is served." Exactly what the hell does that mean? ...
As per USCE's Marcus Lattimore, remind you of anybody else who ran forward-leaning with gliding legs, always running downhill? ...
Sure, Alabama loses a bit without Mark Ingram, but many said last year that Trent Richardson was just as good or better.
What Alabama misses is not having two superb running backs. Each kept the other one fresh. When you have a backup to a Heisman winner running for 751 yards in a national championship year, you have a stud. ...
The third down/first down spot in the UGA-USCE game there early in the second quarter was surreally bad, or the ESPN yellow line mechanism is being worked by Lou Holtz and is thus very soggy. ...
Early afternoon surprise No. 2: A team that lost to a I-AA team at home is battling a No. 16 team, Kansas is down 17-14 with Georgia Tech at halftime. ...
As Bob Davie continues to maul the language and try to sound like he's a Texan, time for some ibuprofen. ...
The 3-4 defense is not the logarithm that announcers want to make it. Teams still have four on the line, just like they had five on the line, and that didn't make it a 5-2. It's about personnel.
Of course, if you're not fundamental, the scheme doesn't matter. ...
Best thing about halves of football: No Lou Holtz.
GAMEDAY LOUGHDMOUTHINGS
(Second half, done Sunday)
So what I-A team has watched Ole Miss and Virginia Tech and now is worried because of its upcoming I-AA opponent?
Massachusetts is at Michigan, Furman visits South Carolina (where it won, about three decades ago), and Oregon welcomes Portland State.
Be afraid. Be very afraid. ...
Surprised that Ohio State rolled Miami like that. Terrelle Pryor was under 50 percent passing - 12 of 27 - but had big plays and ran for 113 yards. Some of us need to see more of that and better passing to start believing.
And he's nowhere near my Heisman list.
Floored with Michigan's Denard Robinson. We saw the potential last week, but 502 yards? Wow. And that doesn't cover it. But the Wolverines better start finding more threats, because nobody wants a quarterback to handle the ball so much.
Figured South Carolina might beat Georgia by more than 11 after that game-opening drive that took up more than half of the first quarter.
Not shocked that Alabama handled Penn State. Only people who are slow or don't pay attention were worried that Trent Richardson couldn't get the job done.
Chuckled at South Dakota's upset of Minnesota. People are going to stop taking the calls of all Dakota coaches. North Dakota State beat Kansas a week ago, and Minnesota in 2007 as a Division II program.
Shook head at Florida, which again muddled its way to a closer-than-the-score win.
Didn't expect Kansas to rebound quite that well. Neither did Kansasans, no doubt. A respectable crowd of 47,000 showed up and got a nice show, the uspet over No. 15 Georgia Tech.
Before anybody starts going crazy, remember: This is normal college football stuff, and has been for years. When South Carolina wins the SEC, then you can say that life has changed as we know it. ...
And we just had a Jill Arrington sighting. shilling for Verizon and NFL Mobile. The former CBS sideline has pretty much been AWOL from the cameras for awhile. ...
Pick: Falcons 28, Steelers 24. ...
From Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel:
Tim Tebow's homecoming in Jacksonville Sunday to play the Jaguars will be the most highly anticipated return to that city since the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission reinstituted muzzleloading season for white-tailed deer.
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