(Macon Telegraph photo)
SEC links for Sunday:
- Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News writes that Alabama punched its ticket to the BCS title game with a 42-14 win at Auburn. Only voter fraud could keep the Crimson Tide out of playing for the national championship. LSU must beat Georgia in the SEC title game on Saturday to keep its end of the bargain.
- Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean reports on Vanderbilt’s easy 41-7 win at Wake Forest. The victory pushed Vandy to 6-6 making the Commodores bowl eligible for the second time in 2008, but for the first time under coach James Franklin. Consider that Vanderbilt lost by five points to Georgia, three points to Arkansas and five points at Florida. A few plays here and there and Vanderbilt could have finished 9-3.
- Mark Bradley of the AJC writes that Georgia didn’t just outplay Georgia Tech in its 31-17 win, it outcoached the Yellow Jackets. Remember, Georgia started the season 0-2 with Mark Richt firmly on the proverbial coach’s hot seat. The Dawgs have run off 10 straight victories since and have a shot — a small shot, but still a shot — against LSU next Saturday in the Georgia Dome.
- Ron Morris of The State writes that South Carolina now owns the series with Clemson after the 34-13 Gamecocks win. Heard Steve Spurrier say on ESPN that he was going to give out 10 game balls, with one “going to me.” The victory clinched a rare 10-win season for the Gamecocks.
- Matt Watts of the Miami Herald reports on Florida State’s 21-7 win over Florida. The loss dropped the Gators to 6-6 and had first-year coach Will Muschamp lamenting the job he did in Gainesville this season. “We’re a soft football team,” he said.
(AP photo)
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes that this year there were no winners in the Florida-FSU rivalry. As Mike points out, Florida State won the game with a grand total of 95 yards of total offense. Somewhere, Bobby Bowden is cringing.
- Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger reports on Mississippi State’s 31-3 bashing of Ole Miss. It was the Bulldogs third straight win over the Rebels. And you have to go back nearly 100 years to find the last time MSU won by such a margin over its cross-state rival. Not a happy send-off for dismissed Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt.
- Aaron Suttles of the Tuscaloosa News writes that Bama’s Trent Richardson turned in a Heisman performance on Saturday. The Crimson Tide running back rushed for 203 yards in the cakewalk at Auburn.
- Josh Moon of the Montgomery Advertiser writes that Alabama has a strong BCS argument. Nick Saban’s team lost one game, at home, to LSU. But the game went into overtime and was still decided by a field goal.
- Seth Emerson of the Macon Telegraph writes on Georgia’s resurgence this season. “I know a lot of people want to say we haven’t played anybody,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “The bottom line is to win ballgames. To be 0-2 and face as much criticism as this team did and really negativity surrounding the whole program, to really come together as a whole group and say, ‘We’re gonna play hard for each other’ is impressive.”
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