Seals-Jones narrows list to final two 
September, 15, 2012
9/15/12
9:17
AM ET
By
Sam Khan Jr. | ESPN.com
SEALY, Texas -- Many things have changed in Ricky Seals-Jones' world in a little over a week.
He went from having an explosive senior season for Sealy (Texas) to being sidelined for a large chunk of it after suffering a dislocated knee on Sept. 6 against Houston St. Pius X. He watched his team's 26-20 comeback win over Cleveland (Texas) from the sideline on Friday night.
And things changed significantly regarding Seals-Jones' recruiting, when Texas exited the picture earlier this week.
He went from having an explosive senior season for Sealy (Texas) to being sidelined for a large chunk of it after suffering a dislocated knee on Sept. 6 against Houston St. Pius X. He watched his team's 26-20 comeback win over Cleveland (Texas) from the sideline on Friday night.
And things changed significantly regarding Seals-Jones' recruiting, when Texas exited the picture earlier this week.
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Rising QB Kent Myers a sleeper 2014
September, 14, 2012
9/14/12
12:44
PM ET
By
Damon Sayles | ESPN.com
GARLAND, Texas -- Kent Myers (Sachse, Texas/Sachse) isn’t a character created for the latest Madden or NCAA Football video game -- but his followers are hoping he continues putting up those kinds of numbers.
To say that Myers, a rapidly rising 2014 quarterback, has written his ticket in the last three weeks is a major understatement. Thursday’s performance happened to be the best of the season -- for any high school quarterback -- as he led his team to a 69-49 win against Grapevine, Texas.
Myers completed 23 of 36 passes for 434 yards and six touchdowns. He also rushed 16 times for 117 yards and three touchdowns. That's nine touchdowns combined. Of Sachse’s 601 total yards Thursday, Myers remarkably made up for 92 percent of the offense.
To say that Myers, a rapidly rising 2014 quarterback, has written his ticket in the last three weeks is a major understatement. Thursday’s performance happened to be the best of the season -- for any high school quarterback -- as he led his team to a 69-49 win against Grapevine, Texas.
Myers completed 23 of 36 passes for 434 yards and six touchdowns. He also rushed 16 times for 117 yards and three touchdowns. That's nine touchdowns combined. Of Sachse’s 601 total yards Thursday, Myers remarkably made up for 92 percent of the offense.
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GeauxTigerNation recruiting writer David Helman is back with another GeauxTigerNation mailbag, taking questions about LSU football and the Tigers' recruiting efforts this year.
From @CarterthePower: Texas drops its recruitment of Ricky Seals-Jones (Sealy, Texas/Sealy). What exactly does that mean for LSU?
It's probably not quite time to add Seals-Jones to LSU's list of commitments, but Texas' decision to stop pursuing him can only be a good thing for the Tigers. Seals-Jones has listed LSU as one of the leaders for his services for quite some time now, and the Longhorns' loss of interest takes one of the favorites out of the equation. The 6-foot-5 wideout plans on visiting Baton Rouge this season, and with six more home games on the schedule, he'll have plenty of opportunities to come to Death Valley and check out a game.
From @CarterthePower: Texas drops its recruitment of Ricky Seals-Jones (Sealy, Texas/Sealy). What exactly does that mean for LSU?
It's probably not quite time to add Seals-Jones to LSU's list of commitments, but Texas' decision to stop pursuing him can only be a good thing for the Tigers. Seals-Jones has listed LSU as one of the leaders for his services for quite some time now, and the Longhorns' loss of interest takes one of the favorites out of the equation. The 6-foot-5 wideout plans on visiting Baton Rouge this season, and with six more home games on the schedule, he'll have plenty of opportunities to come to Death Valley and check out a game.
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Ranking the nation's best offensive lines
September, 14, 2012
9/14/12
12:17
PM ET
By RecruitingNation staff | ESPN.com
Offensive linemen are often called "Big Uglies," but there's nothing ugly and everything big about the top offensive lines in college football.
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Weekend recruiting preview: Louisiana
September, 14, 2012
9/14/12
11:00
AM ET
By
David Helman | ESPN.com
As you'd expect, dozens of LSU commits and targets will be in action across the state this weekend. As we move toward the second month of the high school season, here is a handful of games and players for LSU fans to keep an eye on:
Barbe vs. Evangel Christian -- Barbe, the No. 3 team in the most recent Class 5A power rankings, takes on the No. 3 team in Class 2A. Barbe has been considered a state championship contender since the end of last season, largely thanks to the contributions of tight end and LSU commit DeSean Smith. Smith combines with speedy wide receiver and 2014 LSU target Trey Quinn to make the Barbe offense tough to stop. But the Buccaneers have been unable to get over the hump against Evangel in recent seasons.
Neville vs. Ouachita Parish -- Defending Class 4A state champion Neville takes on a regional rival and the No. 2 team in Class 5A. ESPN 150 athlete and LSU commit John Diarse quarterbacks the Tigers, and Neville has other talent like 2014 cornerback target Laurence Jones. Top 2014 wide receiver prospect Cameron Sims lines up for Ouachita.
Barbe vs. Evangel Christian -- Barbe, the No. 3 team in the most recent Class 5A power rankings, takes on the No. 3 team in Class 2A. Barbe has been considered a state championship contender since the end of last season, largely thanks to the contributions of tight end and LSU commit DeSean Smith. Smith combines with speedy wide receiver and 2014 LSU target Trey Quinn to make the Barbe offense tough to stop. But the Buccaneers have been unable to get over the hump against Evangel in recent seasons.
Neville vs. Ouachita Parish -- Defending Class 4A state champion Neville takes on a regional rival and the No. 2 team in Class 5A. ESPN 150 athlete and LSU commit John Diarse quarterbacks the Tigers, and Neville has other talent like 2014 cornerback target Laurence Jones. Top 2014 wide receiver prospect Cameron Sims lines up for Ouachita.
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- Cue up the "The SEC doesn't play anybody out of conference" complaints.
True or not, LSU is hearing that this week as it prepares to host 0-2 Idaho. The Vandals are not only winless, they are coming off a 2-10 season. And, Idaho is one of the WAC's "left behind" schools destined for a future of wondering whether their league will continue to exist after it was pillaged in recent years during conference realignment.
It makes for a compelling story, but not necessarily in the context of an opponent for a national championship contender like No. 3 LSU.
That was true, of course, until what happened last weekend in Little Rock, Ark.
Louisiana-Monroe, a middling Sun Belt Conference program often mentioned as a candidate to drop back to the FCS, upset another would-be SEC West national title contender, Arkansas. Perfect timing for LSU, which probably needed something for focus during a week where the biggest complaints from fans are about the schedule, not the team.
"It will be mentioned at meetings," said LSU coach Les Miles of ULM's win on Monday. He has stuck with the theme, going so far as to pick on a smaller-than-usual gathering of reporters at his Wednesday news conference that they weren't taking the opponent seriously enough.
He was joking.
We think.
Three things to watch
1. Keeping it interesting: The would-be stumbling blocks on LSU's schedule, with one notable exception Nov. 3, look less and less daunting. Auburn's season is on the verge of disaster. Florida sort of struggles along. South Carolina is still looking for a quarterback. And we've covered what happened to Arkansas. With LSU looking so solid early, especially in last week's 41-3 win over Washington, will the schedule keep the Tigers' focused? That question is particularly relevant this week.
True or not, LSU is hearing that this week as it prepares to host 0-2 Idaho. The Vandals are not only winless, they are coming off a 2-10 season. And, Idaho is one of the WAC's "left behind" schools destined for a future of wondering whether their league will continue to exist after it was pillaged in recent years during conference realignment.
It makes for a compelling story, but not necessarily in the context of an opponent for a national championship contender like No. 3 LSU.
That was true, of course, until what happened last weekend in Little Rock, Ark.
Louisiana-Monroe, a middling Sun Belt Conference program often mentioned as a candidate to drop back to the FCS, upset another would-be SEC West national title contender, Arkansas. Perfect timing for LSU, which probably needed something for focus during a week where the biggest complaints from fans are about the schedule, not the team.
"It will be mentioned at meetings," said LSU coach Les Miles of ULM's win on Monday. He has stuck with the theme, going so far as to pick on a smaller-than-usual gathering of reporters at his Wednesday news conference that they weren't taking the opponent seriously enough.
He was joking.
We think.
Three things to watch
1. Keeping it interesting: The would-be stumbling blocks on LSU's schedule, with one notable exception Nov. 3, look less and less daunting. Auburn's season is on the verge of disaster. Florida sort of struggles along. South Carolina is still looking for a quarterback. And we've covered what happened to Arkansas. With LSU looking so solid early, especially in last week's 41-3 win over Washington, will the schedule keep the Tigers' focused? That question is particularly relevant this week.
It was about halfway through Barbe's 47-14 win against Washington Marion last weekend when Trey Quinn (Lake Charles, La./Barbe) showed off the hands that are making him a known commodity in college football.
The junior wide receiver skied high into the air and brought down a bad overthrow with just one hand -- drawing high praise from the crowd. It was an outstanding catch for any level of football, let alone high school. That is, it was outstanding to everyone but Quinn.
"It was an average catch. I mean, everyone gets lucky every once in a while," he said.
The junior wide receiver skied high into the air and brought down a bad overthrow with just one hand -- drawing high praise from the crowd. It was an outstanding catch for any level of football, let alone high school. That is, it was outstanding to everyone but Quinn.
"It was an average catch. I mean, everyone gets lucky every once in a while," he said.
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Thursday afternoon, Ramondo North, the father of ESPN 150 wide receiver Marquez North (Charlotte, N.C./Mallard Creek) told ESPN there are five programs his son is hoping see on official visits.
"Here are the five schools that Marquez would like to use for his official visit to go see: Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Tennessee," Ramondo North said.
"Here are the five schools that Marquez would like to use for his official visit to go see: Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Tennessee," Ramondo North said.
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Stats give Tigers reasons for optimism
September, 13, 2012
9/13/12
1:31
PM ET
By
Gary Laney | ESPN.com
BATON ROUGE, La. -- If you are looking for reason for optimism for the 2012 LSU football teams, our friends at ESPN Stats and Information have given you some. Each week they give us statistical nuggets to chew on and this week they gave us three suggesting the Tigers might be as good, or better, than 2011 (Data from Stats and Information are in bold):
LSU has generated QB pressure on 40.3 pct of their opponents pass attempts. Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery have five QB pressures each. Of those pressures, 60.9 pct came on a four-man rush or less.
The Tigers are pressuring the quarterback and are getting it done without needing extra help, which means the defensive line is living up to the hype. Defensive coordinator John Chavis is not having to reach into his bag of blitzes and exotic looks so as the quality of opponent gets better, LSU should have some blitzes and different looks that might compensate for the more competitive opponent.
Zach Mettenberger has completed 60.0 pct of his passes on 10+ yards in 2012. From 2009-2011, LSU quarterbacks completed just 42.9 pct of such passes.
Is Mettenberger making LSU a better downfield passing team? You'd better believe it. The statistic above verifies it. If defenses commit to stopping the run, this Tigers team is better equipped to make it pay with downfield passes.
LSU’s 2012 opponents are completing just 29.4 pct of passes of 10+ yards. Since week 10 of the 2011 season Alabama was the only team to complete at least 50 percent of such passes in the BCS National Championship.
This goes hand-in-hand with the first statistic. Because the Tigers generate pressure with the front four, they have plenty enough people in coverage to get the job done. Combine that with the fact that freshman cornerbacks Jalen Mills and Jalen Collins have, so far, proven to be more than competent at individual coverage and you have the makings of an efficient pass defense.
Add it all up and you get an improved offense via a better downfield passing game and a defense that has shown little sign of drop off in pass coverage despite heavy secondary attrition, thanks to continued recruiting success in the secondary mixed with the return of a dominant defensive line.
LSU has generated QB pressure on 40.3 pct of their opponents pass attempts. Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery have five QB pressures each. Of those pressures, 60.9 pct came on a four-man rush or less.
The Tigers are pressuring the quarterback and are getting it done without needing extra help, which means the defensive line is living up to the hype. Defensive coordinator John Chavis is not having to reach into his bag of blitzes and exotic looks so as the quality of opponent gets better, LSU should have some blitzes and different looks that might compensate for the more competitive opponent.
Zach Mettenberger has completed 60.0 pct of his passes on 10+ yards in 2012. From 2009-2011, LSU quarterbacks completed just 42.9 pct of such passes.
Is Mettenberger making LSU a better downfield passing team? You'd better believe it. The statistic above verifies it. If defenses commit to stopping the run, this Tigers team is better equipped to make it pay with downfield passes.
LSU’s 2012 opponents are completing just 29.4 pct of passes of 10+ yards. Since week 10 of the 2011 season Alabama was the only team to complete at least 50 percent of such passes in the BCS National Championship.
This goes hand-in-hand with the first statistic. Because the Tigers generate pressure with the front four, they have plenty enough people in coverage to get the job done. Combine that with the fact that freshman cornerbacks Jalen Mills and Jalen Collins have, so far, proven to be more than competent at individual coverage and you have the makings of an efficient pass defense.
Add it all up and you get an improved offense via a better downfield passing game and a defense that has shown little sign of drop off in pass coverage despite heavy secondary attrition, thanks to continued recruiting success in the secondary mixed with the return of a dominant defensive line.
Top five uncommitted: North Carolina
September, 13, 2012
9/13/12
12:00
PM ET
By
Kipp Adams | ESPN.com
More than 50 prospects in North Carolina signed with FBS programs in the 2012 class, and more than 60 already claim offers in the 2013 class. In this feature, RecruitingNation takes a look at the top five remaining uncommitted prospects in North Carolina.
Tyrone Crowder, OL, Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond, 6-foot-2, 325 pounds
No. 1 prospect in Nouth Carolina
Frontrunner: Clemson
Tyrone Crowder, OL, Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond, 6-foot-2, 325 pounds
No. 1 prospect in Nouth Carolina
Frontrunner: Clemson
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What to watch in the SEC: Week 3
September, 13, 2012
9/13/12
10:15
AM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
We're heading into Week 3 in the SEC, so here's what to watch:
1. Quarterback health: The statuses of Arkansas' Tyler Wilson and South Carolina's Connor Shaw are still unknown. Wilson suffered a head injury against Louisiana-Monroe, while Shaw is still nursing a bruised shoulder from Week 1. For the Gamecocks, losing Shaw for the second straight week won't really hurt South Carolina's offense. It was just fine without him against East Carolina. However, Arkansas isn't in the same position. Brandon Allen completed just 6 of 20 passes against Louisiana-Monroe in place of Wilson. Not having Wilson will make Saturday's game against No. 1 Alabama that much tougher for the Razorbacks.
2. Arkansas' defense: Speaking of the Razorbacks, what has happened to that defense? It was supposed to be more aggressive and more disciplined under Paul Haynes. We saw neither in the second half against Louisiana-Monroe, as the Razorbacks blew a 21-point lead. The defense was shredded against a lesser opponent and now has to play one of the most balanced attacks in the SEC. Last year, Alabama wore down this defense. If Arkansas is going to pick itself up, it has to play much tougher than it has in the first two games. Alabama has far more talent than Arkansas' first opponents and has the capability to really beat this unit down.
3. Tennessee’s passing game vs. Florida’s secondary: This game always comes down to the running game, but the difference this time will be Tennessee's passing game against Florida’s secondary. The Gators are loaded with talent back there and made tremendous strides during the second half of the Texas A&M game, while Tennessee might have the best passing game in the SEC, led by quarterback Tyler Bray. The matchups between Justin Hunter and Marcus Roberson and Cordarrelle Patterson and Loucheiz Purifoy should be great. Zach Rogers is another deep threat the Gators have to be careful about, but Matt Elam has the ability to take the deep ball away for Florida. Should be fun.
4. Must-wins: Both Auburn and Vanderbilt are 0-2 and are coming off tough losses. The Commodores blew a halftime lead at Northwestern, while Auburn was overmatched across the board at Mississippi State. The Tigers are struggling with or without the ball this season, and that's a major concern. Quarterback Kiehl Frazier has to get going, and he's facing the team that just knocked off Arkansas. Vandy just can't get anything going on offense. The explosion we expected to see has been mostly absent through two games and the Commodores have to generate some sort of offensive momentum this weekend against Presbyterian.
5. Mississippi State keeping its edge: Now that Dan Mullen and his Bulldogs have gotten over the hump of beating a West opponent not named Ole Miss, the Bulldogs can’t get complacent. That was just one win, and this team has far bigger goals than just beating Auburn. With the schedule Mississippi State has, it’s very possible the Bulldogs could be 6-1 or 7-0 heading into the Alabama game at the end of October. But this team has to focus on Troy and come out strong against a team that won’t be a pushover.
6. Showdown in the Grove: It’s been a long time since a game in Oxford got attention like Saturday’s showdown with Texas has been receiving. It’s eerily similar to the 2003 game with Eli Manning and LSU, although there isn’t hatred in the air. The Grove is gonna be poppin’ and Oxford is expected to double in size. There’s more confidence around that town because Ole Miss is 2-0 for the first time since 2009. The talent difference between Ole Miss and Texas is obvious, but the Rebels have some momentum and some conviction. Can the Rebels stop that burnt orange wave coming to town?
7. The newbie's returns: Missouri and Texas A&M got a nice taste of what life will be like in the SEC last weekend. Now, it's time for both teams to regroup. Both teams lost a lot of steam in the second half, which was expected. Missouri has the challenge of playing Arizona State and its high-flying offense. The Sun Devils have averaged 54 points through two games, averaging 532 offensive yards in the process. The Tigers got into a shootout with Arizona State last year, but can they handle another one after that physical loss to Georgia? The Aggies are taking on SMU in Dallas, and are also recovering from a tough loss to Florida. This is a game where Texas A&M should try to get more out of its running game, which has to generate more production up the middle.
8. Mettenberger’s arm: Through the first two games of the season, we’ve been anxiously waiting to see what Zach Mettenberger could really do in LSU’s offense. So far, he’s yet to eclipse the 200-yard passing mark in a game and has just two touchdowns -- pedestrian numbers compared to what everyone expected. But the Tigers have utilized their running game flawlessly and haven’t needed to send the ball downfield much. Saturday, that should change. It’s time to unleash Mettenberger and get him going more in the offense before LSU gets into conference play.
9. Lattimore’s workload: If Steve Spurrier wanted to push Marcus Lattimore anymore last week, he would have. But the Head Ball Coach gave his workhorse a bit of a rest against East Carolina, running him just 13 times. Maybe Spurrier just wanted to get his new quarterback, Dylan Thompson, a chance to show his stuff in place of Shaw. But as Lattimore continues to return from his knee injury, he’ll need to get more reps and get more comfortable on the field before league play revs up. UAB should provide him the opportunity to do that.
10. Florida’s winning streak: The Gators have had Tennessee’s number for seven straight years now. Not since Dallas Baker’s infamous slap in Knoxville have the Vols bested Florida. This might be Tennessee’s best shot since. There’s no question that this is the best and most complete Vols team Derek Dooley has had. The Vols have cruised through the first two weeks, while Florida’s offense stumbles in with a lot of uncertainty concerning the passing game. Florida might have the edge on defense, but Tennessee’s offense knows how to put up points. Is this the year Tennessee finally gets the Gator off its back?
1. Quarterback health: The statuses of Arkansas' Tyler Wilson and South Carolina's Connor Shaw are still unknown. Wilson suffered a head injury against Louisiana-Monroe, while Shaw is still nursing a bruised shoulder from Week 1. For the Gamecocks, losing Shaw for the second straight week won't really hurt South Carolina's offense. It was just fine without him against East Carolina. However, Arkansas isn't in the same position. Brandon Allen completed just 6 of 20 passes against Louisiana-Monroe in place of Wilson. Not having Wilson will make Saturday's game against No. 1 Alabama that much tougher for the Razorbacks.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Danny JohnstonCoach John L. Smith and his Razorbacks face a formidable foe in No. 1 Alabama this week.
AP Photo/Danny JohnstonCoach John L. Smith and his Razorbacks face a formidable foe in No. 1 Alabama this week.3. Tennessee’s passing game vs. Florida’s secondary: This game always comes down to the running game, but the difference this time will be Tennessee's passing game against Florida’s secondary. The Gators are loaded with talent back there and made tremendous strides during the second half of the Texas A&M game, while Tennessee might have the best passing game in the SEC, led by quarterback Tyler Bray. The matchups between Justin Hunter and Marcus Roberson and Cordarrelle Patterson and Loucheiz Purifoy should be great. Zach Rogers is another deep threat the Gators have to be careful about, but Matt Elam has the ability to take the deep ball away for Florida. Should be fun.
4. Must-wins: Both Auburn and Vanderbilt are 0-2 and are coming off tough losses. The Commodores blew a halftime lead at Northwestern, while Auburn was overmatched across the board at Mississippi State. The Tigers are struggling with or without the ball this season, and that's a major concern. Quarterback Kiehl Frazier has to get going, and he's facing the team that just knocked off Arkansas. Vandy just can't get anything going on offense. The explosion we expected to see has been mostly absent through two games and the Commodores have to generate some sort of offensive momentum this weekend against Presbyterian.
5. Mississippi State keeping its edge: Now that Dan Mullen and his Bulldogs have gotten over the hump of beating a West opponent not named Ole Miss, the Bulldogs can’t get complacent. That was just one win, and this team has far bigger goals than just beating Auburn. With the schedule Mississippi State has, it’s very possible the Bulldogs could be 6-1 or 7-0 heading into the Alabama game at the end of October. But this team has to focus on Troy and come out strong against a team that won’t be a pushover.
6. Showdown in the Grove: It’s been a long time since a game in Oxford got attention like Saturday’s showdown with Texas has been receiving. It’s eerily similar to the 2003 game with Eli Manning and LSU, although there isn’t hatred in the air. The Grove is gonna be poppin’ and Oxford is expected to double in size. There’s more confidence around that town because Ole Miss is 2-0 for the first time since 2009. The talent difference between Ole Miss and Texas is obvious, but the Rebels have some momentum and some conviction. Can the Rebels stop that burnt orange wave coming to town?
7. The newbie's returns: Missouri and Texas A&M got a nice taste of what life will be like in the SEC last weekend. Now, it's time for both teams to regroup. Both teams lost a lot of steam in the second half, which was expected. Missouri has the challenge of playing Arizona State and its high-flying offense. The Sun Devils have averaged 54 points through two games, averaging 532 offensive yards in the process. The Tigers got into a shootout with Arizona State last year, but can they handle another one after that physical loss to Georgia? The Aggies are taking on SMU in Dallas, and are also recovering from a tough loss to Florida. This is a game where Texas A&M should try to get more out of its running game, which has to generate more production up the middle.
8. Mettenberger’s arm: Through the first two games of the season, we’ve been anxiously waiting to see what Zach Mettenberger could really do in LSU’s offense. So far, he’s yet to eclipse the 200-yard passing mark in a game and has just two touchdowns -- pedestrian numbers compared to what everyone expected. But the Tigers have utilized their running game flawlessly and haven’t needed to send the ball downfield much. Saturday, that should change. It’s time to unleash Mettenberger and get him going more in the offense before LSU gets into conference play.
9. Lattimore’s workload: If Steve Spurrier wanted to push Marcus Lattimore anymore last week, he would have. But the Head Ball Coach gave his workhorse a bit of a rest against East Carolina, running him just 13 times. Maybe Spurrier just wanted to get his new quarterback, Dylan Thompson, a chance to show his stuff in place of Shaw. But as Lattimore continues to return from his knee injury, he’ll need to get more reps and get more comfortable on the field before league play revs up. UAB should provide him the opportunity to do that.
10. Florida’s winning streak: The Gators have had Tennessee’s number for seven straight years now. Not since Dallas Baker’s infamous slap in Knoxville have the Vols bested Florida. This might be Tennessee’s best shot since. There’s no question that this is the best and most complete Vols team Derek Dooley has had. The Vols have cruised through the first two weeks, while Florida’s offense stumbles in with a lot of uncertainty concerning the passing game. Florida might have the edge on defense, but Tennessee’s offense knows how to put up points. Is this the year Tennessee finally gets the Gator off its back?
Tyquan Lewis will announce his college decision on Sept. 20, the defensive end from Tarboro (N.C.) told ESPN via text message.
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I’m proud to report that the ATL Kid and I are both 21-2 (.913) two weeks into our picks contest.
What’s regrettable is that all of our picks have been the same to this point. He talks about the NCAA investigating me for taking a sneak peek at whom he’s picking every week.
I’ve already complained to SEC commissioner Mike Slive about the Kid airing his dirty laundry in public. After all, we have a stated protocol for how to handle these things, but kids today aren’t real big on rules.
Maybe that’s why the Kid gets me his picks about 3 o’clock in the morning every Thursday after carousing around Atlanta with his pal, Oscar.
We were both 9-2 last week and missed Louisiana-Monroe’s 34-31 upset of Arkansas and Northwestern’s 23-13 win over Vanderbilt, which didn't score a second-half touchdown in either of its first two games.
We’ll have some separation this week, because our picks aren’t all the same.
It’s grudge time on the SEC blog as the Kid’s alma mater (Florida) takes on my alma mater (Tennessee). There hasn’t been a lot of trash talk, although I told him he should have to sing “Rocky Top” on video if the Vols win.
His Gators have owned this series, so there’s not a lot I can say. They’ve won the past seven games. The last time Tennessee won, the Kid was still playing youth soccer somewhere and sitting on the bench with a juice box on one side of him and his orange slices on the other.
I hear he still rolls that way.
That said, let’s roll through this week’s picks:
PRESBYTERIAN at VANDERBILT
Chris Low: The Commodores are trying to recover from an 0-2 start. This is one they not only need to win, but need to win convincingly. ... Vanderbilt 35, Presbyterian 7
Edward Aschoff: We'll finally see the explosive play we've been waiting on from Vanderbilt's offense in this must-win for the Commodores. ... Vanderbilt 41, Presbyterian 10
UAB at SOUTH CAROLINA
Chris Low: The Gamecocks romped last week with backup quarterback Dylan Thompson passing for three touchdowns. Regardless of who’s at quarterback this week, the Gamecocks will cruise again. ... South Carolina 42, UAB 10
Edward Aschoff: Connor Shaw might not play, but the Gamecocks should be just fine again. Expect a little more Marcus Lattimore this week. ... South Carolina 38, UAB 13
MISSISSIPPI STATE at TROY
Chris Low: Going on the road to play in one of these games is never ideal for an SEC team, but the Bulldogs have built up too much momentum to stumble now. ... Mississippi State 31, Troy 14
Edward Aschoff: The Bulldogs are coming off their first SEC-opening win since 1999, but can't lose their edge. They won't this weekend. ... Mississippi State 38, Troy 14
IDAHO at LSU
Chris Low: The Tigers keep losing players, but they keep winning big. Nobody’s really challenged them yet, and that’s not going to change this Saturday. ... LSU 45, Idaho 6
Edward Aschoff: The Tigers looked much better all around in Week 2, and that trend should continue Saturday. This is the weekend we see the passing game really open up. ... LSU 48, Idaho 3
WESTERN KENTUCKY at KENTUCKY
Chris Low: Western Kentucky is one of the Sun Belt Conference’s better teams this season, but Kentucky quarterback Maxwell Smith is one of the SEC’s hottest quarterbacks right now. ... Kentucky 28, Western Kentucky 21
Edward Aschoff: The Wildcats know they have to win out in nonconference play if they want to make a bowl game. They should have no problem getting past Western Kentucky. ... Kentucky 41, Western Kentucky 13
FLORIDA ATLANTIC at GEORGIA
Chris Low: The Bulldogs are getting two defensive starters back for this game, which will make it an even longer night for the already outmanned Owls. ... Georgia 52, Florida Atlantic 7
Edward Aschoff: The Bulldogs get one last tuneup before really diving into SEC play. The Dawgs should roll Saturday. ... Georgia 45, Florida Atlantic 10
TEXAS A&M at SMU
Chris Low: The Aggies stay in Texas but go on the road to face the Mustangs. Johnny Manziel & Co. will see to it that they finish the game this time. ... Texas A&M 34, SMU 21
Edward Aschoff: The jitters are gone, and a game is under the Aggies' belts. Expect to see more of Texas A&M's offense to be unveiled Saturday. ... Texas A&M 34, SMU 14
LOUISIANA-MONROE at AUBURN
Chris Low: Ask Arkansas if the Warhawks should be taken lightly. In fact, the best thing that could have happened to Auburn was seeing what happened to the Hogs last week. ... Auburn 31, La.-Monroe 21
Edward Aschoff: The Tigers are in desperate need of a win and some confidence on both sides of the ball. The Warhawks might have upset Arkansas, but Auburn will rebound Saturday on the Plains. ... Auburn 31, La.-Monroe 17
TEXAS at OLE MISS
Chris Low: The Grove will be at its best Saturday. The Rebels will also need to be at their best to pull the upset. They’ll make it close, but they don’t have quite enough firepower yet to close the deal. ... Texas 28, Ole Miss 24
Edward Aschoff: An epic party is expected in Oxford this weekend, and confidence is high at Ole Miss. The Rebels should hang around early, but Texas just has too much talent. ... Texas 34, Ole Miss 21
ARIZONA STATE at MISSOURI
Chris Low: Loosen up the old neck, because this could turn into a track meet. The Tigers are hurting on their offensive line but have enough playmakers to outlast the Sun Devils. ... Missouri 38, Arizona State 31
Edward Aschoff: The Tigers are coming off of a tough, physical loss to Georgia. Mizzou might be a little banged up, but it'll outlast Arizona State in another shootout Saturday. ... Missouri 31, Arizona State 27
ALABAMA at ARKANSAS
Chris Low: The Hogs were embarrassed by what happened in Little Rock last week. They’ll put up a fight, but the Crimson Tide have too much muscle in the trenches. ... Alabama 37, Arkansas 13
Edward Aschoff: The luster of this game has certainly been lost, but the Hogs have to be extremely motivated underdogs. However, even a healthy Tyler Wilson might not have enough to take down this Alabama team. ... Alabama 31, Arkansas 10
FLORIDA at TENNESSEE
Chris Low: The last time Tennessee beat Florida, Ron Zook was coaching the Gators and Phillip Fulmer was coaching the Vols. Both teams have visions of contending in the East, but Tennessee’s passing game will be the difference in this one. ... Tennessee 31, Florida 28
Edward Aschoff: Tennessee might have the flashiest passing game around, but Florida's defense is riding high after that second half at Texas A&M. The Gators are underdogs, but that defense will keep the Gators and their winning streak going against Tennessee. ... Florida 24, Tennessee 21
What’s regrettable is that all of our picks have been the same to this point. He talks about the NCAA investigating me for taking a sneak peek at whom he’s picking every week.
I’ve already complained to SEC commissioner Mike Slive about the Kid airing his dirty laundry in public. After all, we have a stated protocol for how to handle these things, but kids today aren’t real big on rules.
Maybe that’s why the Kid gets me his picks about 3 o’clock in the morning every Thursday after carousing around Atlanta with his pal, Oscar.
We were both 9-2 last week and missed Louisiana-Monroe’s 34-31 upset of Arkansas and Northwestern’s 23-13 win over Vanderbilt, which didn't score a second-half touchdown in either of its first two games.
We’ll have some separation this week, because our picks aren’t all the same.
It’s grudge time on the SEC blog as the Kid’s alma mater (Florida) takes on my alma mater (Tennessee). There hasn’t been a lot of trash talk, although I told him he should have to sing “Rocky Top” on video if the Vols win.
His Gators have owned this series, so there’s not a lot I can say. They’ve won the past seven games. The last time Tennessee won, the Kid was still playing youth soccer somewhere and sitting on the bench with a juice box on one side of him and his orange slices on the other.
I hear he still rolls that way.
That said, let’s roll through this week’s picks:
PRESBYTERIAN at VANDERBILT
Chris Low: The Commodores are trying to recover from an 0-2 start. This is one they not only need to win, but need to win convincingly. ... Vanderbilt 35, Presbyterian 7
Edward Aschoff: We'll finally see the explosive play we've been waiting on from Vanderbilt's offense in this must-win for the Commodores. ... Vanderbilt 41, Presbyterian 10
UAB at SOUTH CAROLINA
Chris Low: The Gamecocks romped last week with backup quarterback Dylan Thompson passing for three touchdowns. Regardless of who’s at quarterback this week, the Gamecocks will cruise again. ... South Carolina 42, UAB 10
Edward Aschoff: Connor Shaw might not play, but the Gamecocks should be just fine again. Expect a little more Marcus Lattimore this week. ... South Carolina 38, UAB 13
MISSISSIPPI STATE at TROY
Chris Low: Going on the road to play in one of these games is never ideal for an SEC team, but the Bulldogs have built up too much momentum to stumble now. ... Mississippi State 31, Troy 14
Edward Aschoff: The Bulldogs are coming off their first SEC-opening win since 1999, but can't lose their edge. They won't this weekend. ... Mississippi State 38, Troy 14
IDAHO at LSU
Chris Low: The Tigers keep losing players, but they keep winning big. Nobody’s really challenged them yet, and that’s not going to change this Saturday. ... LSU 45, Idaho 6
Edward Aschoff: The Tigers looked much better all around in Week 2, and that trend should continue Saturday. This is the weekend we see the passing game really open up. ... LSU 48, Idaho 3
WESTERN KENTUCKY at KENTUCKY
Chris Low: Western Kentucky is one of the Sun Belt Conference’s better teams this season, but Kentucky quarterback Maxwell Smith is one of the SEC’s hottest quarterbacks right now. ... Kentucky 28, Western Kentucky 21
Edward Aschoff: The Wildcats know they have to win out in nonconference play if they want to make a bowl game. They should have no problem getting past Western Kentucky. ... Kentucky 41, Western Kentucky 13
FLORIDA ATLANTIC at GEORGIA
Chris Low: The Bulldogs are getting two defensive starters back for this game, which will make it an even longer night for the already outmanned Owls. ... Georgia 52, Florida Atlantic 7
Edward Aschoff: The Bulldogs get one last tuneup before really diving into SEC play. The Dawgs should roll Saturday. ... Georgia 45, Florida Atlantic 10
TEXAS A&M at SMU
Chris Low: The Aggies stay in Texas but go on the road to face the Mustangs. Johnny Manziel & Co. will see to it that they finish the game this time. ... Texas A&M 34, SMU 21
Edward Aschoff: The jitters are gone, and a game is under the Aggies' belts. Expect to see more of Texas A&M's offense to be unveiled Saturday. ... Texas A&M 34, SMU 14
LOUISIANA-MONROE at AUBURN
Chris Low: Ask Arkansas if the Warhawks should be taken lightly. In fact, the best thing that could have happened to Auburn was seeing what happened to the Hogs last week. ... Auburn 31, La.-Monroe 21
Edward Aschoff: The Tigers are in desperate need of a win and some confidence on both sides of the ball. The Warhawks might have upset Arkansas, but Auburn will rebound Saturday on the Plains. ... Auburn 31, La.-Monroe 17
TEXAS at OLE MISS
Chris Low: The Grove will be at its best Saturday. The Rebels will also need to be at their best to pull the upset. They’ll make it close, but they don’t have quite enough firepower yet to close the deal. ... Texas 28, Ole Miss 24
Edward Aschoff: An epic party is expected in Oxford this weekend, and confidence is high at Ole Miss. The Rebels should hang around early, but Texas just has too much talent. ... Texas 34, Ole Miss 21
ARIZONA STATE at MISSOURI
Chris Low: Loosen up the old neck, because this could turn into a track meet. The Tigers are hurting on their offensive line but have enough playmakers to outlast the Sun Devils. ... Missouri 38, Arizona State 31
Edward Aschoff: The Tigers are coming off of a tough, physical loss to Georgia. Mizzou might be a little banged up, but it'll outlast Arizona State in another shootout Saturday. ... Missouri 31, Arizona State 27
ALABAMA at ARKANSAS
Chris Low: The Hogs were embarrassed by what happened in Little Rock last week. They’ll put up a fight, but the Crimson Tide have too much muscle in the trenches. ... Alabama 37, Arkansas 13
Edward Aschoff: The luster of this game has certainly been lost, but the Hogs have to be extremely motivated underdogs. However, even a healthy Tyler Wilson might not have enough to take down this Alabama team. ... Alabama 31, Arkansas 10
FLORIDA at TENNESSEE
Chris Low: The last time Tennessee beat Florida, Ron Zook was coaching the Gators and Phillip Fulmer was coaching the Vols. Both teams have visions of contending in the East, but Tennessee’s passing game will be the difference in this one. ... Tennessee 31, Florida 28
Edward Aschoff: Tennessee might have the flashiest passing game around, but Florida's defense is riding high after that second half at Texas A&M. The Gators are underdogs, but that defense will keep the Gators and their winning streak going against Tennessee. ... Florida 24, Tennessee 21
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Sure, it's supposed to be a blowout: LSU, ranked No. 3 in the nation and looking a lot like a No. 1 last week in a 41-3 win against Washington, vs. Idaho, 0-2 and coming off a 2-10 season. LSU, the team with arguably the most defensive talent in college football vs. Idaho, the team that needed more than seven quarters to score its first touchdown this season. So what is there to watch for this weekend?
1. Let it fly?
LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger went 12-for-18 for 195 yards and a touchdown against Washington and looked good enough for head coach Les Miles to come under fire for not using him enough. Will the Tigers take to the air or wait for a game where they need to throw (like Alabama)?
1. Let it fly?
LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger went 12-for-18 for 195 yards and a touchdown against Washington and looked good enough for head coach Les Miles to come under fire for not using him enough. Will the Tigers take to the air or wait for a game where they need to throw (like Alabama)?
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RB Fournette earns Under Armour invite
September, 12, 2012
9/12/12
5:00
PM ET
By
Greg Ostendorf | ESPN.com
The Under Armour All-America Game has become the premier all-star game for high school football recruits, and for top recruits in the New Orleans area, announcing their decision at the game has become a trend.
Five-star safety Landon Collins announced his intentions to sign with the University of Alabama during last season's game, and now his brother Gerald Willis and talented running back Leonard Fournette, both 2014 prospects, plan to do the same.
On Tuesday, Fournette’s dream came one step closer to reality as he received his invitation to play in the 2014 Under Armour Game.
Five-star safety Landon Collins announced his intentions to sign with the University of Alabama during last season's game, and now his brother Gerald Willis and talented running back Leonard Fournette, both 2014 prospects, plan to do the same.
On Tuesday, Fournette’s dream came one step closer to reality as he received his invitation to play in the 2014 Under Armour Game.
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ABOUT GEAUX TIGER NATION
Gary Laney
Gary Laney joined ESPN.com in 2012 after spending a year and a half as online sports editor of the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate. Before that, he covered LSU sports for the Advocate. He has also been the sports editor at the Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise and covered McNeese State athletics for the Lake Charles (La.) American Press. Laney currently lives in Baton Rouge. Email him at glaneyespn@gmail.com