It's That Time Again...

After catching the tail end of the Braves game that they just so happened to pull out, it made me realize just how much I do in fact long for college football. So let all the football debauchery begin, from the perennial over-rating of those PAC-1o "powerhouses" to the (now annual) preseason Tim Tebow media blow-jobs. Indeed, there is much to discuss this go 'round, and it's a tall chore for anyone to decide where to begin, so, why not start it out right here at home with our beloved Silver Britches and the national hatred they've come to know and love.

To begin, an excerpt from one of my favorite articles of the preseason:

"Georgia will battle the Cowboys with plenty of energy for four quarters, but that game will likely end in defeat, setting the stage for a disappointing season. Put simply, the Bulldogs will be a second tier SEC squad in 2009." -- Douchebag from LA

Just to be sure I have this straight, a preseason number 13 ranking in both major polls, with most pundits in the know-how predicting another 10 win season and New Years Day bowl now makes you "second tier"? Have a look at the following:

"Are the Rebels as good as Florida? No, but no one is. Still, expect Ole Miss to finish near the top of the SEC standings." -- Same Douchebag from LA

Well now, it certainly seems to me that in a league destined to be decimated by the second coming of Christ and the shades wearing signal caller with the smoking hot daughter, EVERYONE should be second tier, correct? Nope, according to Mr. D-Bag and the LA times, that would just be our Dawgs.

Now, I'm no Nostradamus, and I wouldn't necessarily place a large wager on our boys making it to Pasadena come January 7th, but I don't think in any way we have a "second tier" team this season. For the last two weeks all I've been hearing is tough schedule this, tough schedule that...it's the SEC, every schedule is tough. Aside from the fact we open this year away from the Hedges and have to face a team that couldn't stop the Class A Montgomery County Eagles on defense (not that we don't have our own bit of improving to do), how's it so much different that last year? We follow that up with a home meeting from the 'Cock and his lovable band of Poultry, a game that by most accounts, we should win. We then head West for a potential trap game with the fleet-footed Bobby Petrino and the 'Hogs. Barring a 2006 Vanderbiltian sized brain-fart we should be leaving there with our heads held high and the smell of fresh barbecue on our jerseys.

Following the pig-pickin' will be our much anticipated meeting with PAC-1o puny Arizona State. You know that matchup looked a heckuva lot better when it was scheduled four or five years ago than it does today. To follow, we get an LSU team that I'm not too sure very many people know what to expect out of this year. Will they be good?...Yes...They're LSU, they're always "good", but are they the LSU of several years ago that everyone overlooked only to be stuck from behind by Jamarcus Russel's massive talent? I guess only time will tell, but, I think with the crowd and four games to prep, we find a way to get it done at home.

Following the brawl with the Bengals, we begin our rampant run through the home of the Hillbilly, a two week road trip that we should undoubtedly return from with no less than two more victories. That leads our boys into their first by week of the season before heading to Jacksonville to do battle with His Holyness and his Disciples, which also leads me to my first break. So heading in to what will most certainly be a reality check, I have our boys showing up sporting a paltry 7-1 record with LSU and Okey State being my toss ups. Check back in later in the week for the rest of the season outlook and a more in depth take on the Boys from Oklahoma (not the ones Ragweed sang about), complete with Accuscore projections.