Flurry of Late-Night, Semi-Buzzed Notes

1) I am FIRED UP about the potential for the SEC West showdowns this season.  Granted Georgia did a nice job in a shootout at Arkansas tonight (and that is a good thing for the competitive hope for my upcoming trip to the Cocktail Party this season), but the real heavyweights, i.e. Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss really seem to be gaining momentum for a reckoning for the right to play Florida in Atlanta.  This is good stuff.

2) Pac-10?  2nd best conference in the country.  Good showing today from Cal, Washington, Oregon, UCLA, and even a nice showing from Stanford and Arizona State this week.  Top to bottom, I’ll take this conference over the Big 12 and ACC.  I think the SEC may be a little bit down – opposite of the last few years where they were incredible deep top to bottom but soft at the top, this year’s conference is top-heavy with Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and LSU, but lacking much depth beyond solid squads in Georgia, Auburn, Arkansas, South Carolina and Tennessee.  Wait a minute – that’s a deep conference!  Bottom line: if you’re in the SEC or Big 12 and go unbeaten, you play for the title.  If you’re in the Pac-10 and go unbeaten, you should be able to play for the title.  If you’re in the Big 10, ACC, Mountain West, or Big East (yes, in that order) and go unbeaten, well, you need a little help.

3) I have had enough of Tim Tebow’s ‘roid rage psyche up speeches.  Seriously, Tim, calm down.  There is inspiration and there is a group of phenomenal athletes quizzically looking at a maniac having a seizure before a game.  Fact: the Florida defense is a RIDICULOUS unit returning all 11 starters from a national championship side.  Fact: That defense is the unit that is going to carry Florida to a repeat, or not.  If today’s game vs. Tennessee proved anything, it proved that a talented, elite defense can’t necessarily stop Tebow and Florida, but it can contain them in the 20-30 point range.  At that point, it’s up to the offense of the opponent to win the game.  Clearly, Jonathan Crompton and Tennessee weren’t close to capable of doing that.  Alabama and Texas are.  Maybe a few other teams as well.

4) Another few reactions from the Florida-Tennessee “grudge match.”  First, Eric Berry is by so far and away the best player in the country it’s ridiculous.  He handled Tebow one-on-one every time he could have, and if that isn’t evidence that Tebow won’t work in the NFL, well, you’re just silly.  He has a windup reminiscent of B-Flow favorite the Pocket Amoeba, but adds mobility and toughness to that equation.  He’s a nice player, but he’s not quick enough or athletic enough to win battles with NFL linebackers, and NFL linebackers are just as big as he is, unlike those of the second tier SEC squads.  Second, I’m not sure whether to applaud Lane Kiffin for keeping his team in the game throughout, or to lambast him for clearly playing not to win, but to keep it close?  How else can we explain a coach that calls this drive, late in the 4th quarter down 10 – you tell me: