Friday Free For All…..Volume 7.0

Friday Free For All…..Volume 7.0

By: J Shannon

It’s Friday People, the Friday before the SEC Championship game…. That means this Friday Free for All is going to be jam packed so damn tight full of breakdown and analysis of the big game,  it’s going to make a Honda Civic crammed full of Mexicans look like a H2 Limo…..Here it is boys and girls, THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP Edition of the FRIDAY MORNING FREE FOR ALL……

----THE NUMBER ONE THING I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS WEEKEND:

1.       South Carolina vs. Auburn-

Let’s be honest, is there anything else going on this weekend other than the SEC Championship game? Not as far as I’m concerned. This game has a little bit of everything: The underdog, the potential national champion, the off field controversy, the freshmen sensation, and the old Veteran Coach. Does South Carolina have a chance to upset Auburn? Most people would say no, but then again, most of those same people had Alabama and Florida playing this weekend, so what the hell do they know? Here are, in my opinion, the key match ups to watch this weekend…..

·         Stephen Garcia vs. the Auburn Pass Defense- In the first meeting between the two teams, Stephen Garcia picked apart the Auburn defense the first three quarters of the game. Auburn's pass defense showed last week against Alabama that they don’t mind giving up over 350 yards of passing offense. Garcia has to be on point, and accurate. Garcia has to take what is given to him, and not make the decisions he did in years past.

·         Cam Newton vs. the USC Front 7- I would say Auburn’s offense vs. the front 7, but Cam Newton is the offense. The good news for South Carolina: Their defense has seen Cam before, and held him somewhat in check in game 1. The bad news: Cam has only gotten better since the last meeting. In order to have a chance to win the game, I think South Carolina has to make Cam Newton throw over the top of the front 7.

·         Turnover Football- Take away turnovers in the first game, who knows what would have happened. Turnovers are always important, but I feel like this game they will be the ultimate factor. IF SOUTH CAROLINA DOES NOT TURN THE BALL OVER THIS GAME, THEY WILL BE THE SEC CHAMPIONS.

SOUTH CAROLINA WINS IF……

ü  Alshon Jeffery has an enormous day. He lit up Auburn last game for 8 catches, 190 yards, and 2 touchdowns. He will need to do the same again.

ü  They stick to the game plan. Even if Lattimore isn’t breaking off big chunks of yardage, you can not abandon the run game. You have to keep going to back to the run, in order to keep Jeffery free.

ü  They force turnovers. The Defense has to play by far the best game of the season. I don’t think you can sit back and wait on Cam to make a move. I think Ellis Johnson has to dial up some confusing looks and blitz packages.

ü  They play Turnover Free Football. Against Florida, I said USC could make 1 turnover or less. Well that was because Florida’s offense sucks worse than a Dyson Vacuum. Auburn’s Offense is nasty. USC CAN NOT TURN THE BALL OVER AT ALL.

ü  The Ol Ball Coach returns to form. Spurrier has to put together the best game plan of his career. I think the fact that he has played this game numerous times is a huge advantage for South Carolina.

Final Predictions

At the end of the day, it comes down to Stephen Garcia. If he doesn’t turn the ball over, and has a big game, I think South Carolina has its first SEC Championship. South Carolina jumps out early in this game, and Auburn makes a hell of a run in the second half. But the magical comeback luck has run out for Auburn, and they miss the field goal for the tie at the end of regulation.

                                                FINAL SCORE-   AUBURN- 28   SOUTH CAROLINA -31

-----Number 1 Thing that Pissed me OFF this Week…..

1.       The NCAA Rules Committee…

Look, I’m not hating on Cam Newton or Auburn. Auburn has handled this situation exactly the way an athletic department should handle a situation of this magnitude. And I think Cam Newton should win the Heisman for being the best football player in the country. The part that pisses me off is how bad the NCAA dropped the Ball on this matter. It comes down to one thing: MONEY. The NCAA is so afraid of the possibility of TCU playing for the National Championship, that they didn’t take the time to think out their statement before they made their final ruling. Essentially, they said that Cam Newton’s father broke the same rules that Reggie Bush’s father broke. Both Mr. Bush and Mr. Newton solicited money from a school in order for their son to play. What no one understands is this:

        --The outcome for the Bush situation: 30 lost scholarships for USC, 2 years probation.

        --The outcome for the Newton Situation: Eligible. Nothing else.

Like I said, I’m not hating, I’m glad he is playing. I WANT CAM TO PLAY. If South Carolina pulls off an upset, I would want them to pull it off against the strongest Auburn team, so there are no what ifs….

So why is he eligible? It’s really simple. In the words of Diddy, “It’s all about the Benjamin’s Baby.” TCU has 8,865 total students enrolled at its university. Auburn has 24,602. The National Championship is in Arizona this year. What are your best chances to fill an entire stadium for a National Championship? Make sure the team with the most followers and fan support has the best opportunity to make the trip. And as far as TV Ratings go, who would you rather see play: Cam Newton and Auburn vs. Oregon or TCU vs. Oregon. Now you are starting to get it……

-----Youtube Clip of the Week…..

---This week marks the annual Jimmy V memorial week. Jimmy V was a legendary coach, who to this day has raised millions of dollars for cancer research. Here is his legendary speech from the Espy Awards, weeks before he died. It is a must watch, and one of the most inspirational speeches in history. Enjoy.

     

-----Shout-Outs for the Weekend…..

·         The Pool Hall- Shout Out to the Pool Hall for supporting the Gamecocks, and hosting Patrick Davis this weekend. It should be an incredible weekend. ….

·         Magic Johnson- The guy is the longest known survivor of HIV that I know about and now he is on the verge of bringing an NFL team to LA...

·         The Victoria Secret Fashion Show- Outfits were weird as hell, but damn there were some gorgeous girls on that runway….

·         Lebron- Not only did he go back to Cleveland, but he shut up 20,000 people, put up 38, 8, and 8, and didn’t even play the 4^th quarter. Step up your Brotivation Cleveland….

·         Crandall Sims- Thanks for the shout- out this morning. You are well on your way to becoming Brotivated….

·         Matt “Broseph” Watts- Thanks for reading continuously, and spreading the word….

·         Shay Stafford, Jamison Mady, Phil Hud, Stephanie Smith, The Shaefer Welch Band, and Kanos- These are some of the residents that will be calling my place home for the weekend festivities…..

As always, it’s been a pleasure. Leave a comment if you disagree with anything I got to say, and I’ll prove to you why you are wrong….. Check in again Monday Suckazzzzz.