The Classic SEC has five teams in the top 15:
1. Georgia
5. Alabama
6. Mississippi
13. Louisiana St.
15. Tennessee
32. Kentucky
37. Auburn
38. Florida
71. Mississippi St.
91. Vanderbilt
The Game of the Year in the Classic SEC should take place on September 28 in Tuscaloosa, as we get a rare regular-season matchup between Georgia and Alabama. Georgia also plays Florida in Jacksonville on November 2, travels to Ole Miss on November 9, and hosts Tennessee on November 16. So their fans will get a lot of Classic SEC action, along with non-conference games against historical rivals Clemson (August 31) and Georgia Tech (November 29). The last few regular seasons have been very pleasant for Georgia -- it's great to see them playing a more robust schedule.
Alabama opens at home against Western Kentucky on Saturday. They will be in Knoxville on October 19, in Baton Rouge on November 9, and home for the Iron Bowl on November 30.
Ole Miss will be at LSU on October 12, will visit Florida on November 23, and will host the Egg Bowl on November 29.
LSU starts the season on Sunday in Las Vegas against Southern Cal. Interestingly, LSU also hosts UCLA on September 21, so I think they will become the first Classic SEC team to play both of those schools in the same season. LSU also travels to Gainesville on November 16.
Tennessee will be going to Charlotte on September 7 for a game with North Carolina St. They host Kentucky on November 2 and they end the year at Vandy on November 30.
Kentucky will host Murray State on November 16 and will hose Louisville on November 30. Great to see the Racers getting their chance against the Big Blue. Maybe someone at Murray could reach out to Mark Pope.
Of course, the worst thing about this season for Classic SEC fans is the loss of seeing the games on CBS. Going forward, it's pretty much ABC or ESPN for us. Nevertheless, it looks like it will be a very exciting year, and I am now rested and ready for it to start. It's been two months since Tennessee beat Texas A & M to win the College World Series, and I'm ready for everything to get going again.
The last team from the Classic SEC to win the national championship was the 2022 Georgia Bulldogs.
ReplyDeleteHere are the teams who have won the Classic SEC since the HP began:
ReplyDelete2010: Auburn
2011: LSU
2012: Alabama
2013: Auburn
2014: Alabama
2015: Alabama
2016: Alabama
2017: Georgia
2018: Alabama
2019: LSU
2020: Alabama
2021: Alabama
2022: Georgia
2023: Alabama
For the record, I believe Nick Saban is the greatest coach in the history of college football.
ReplyDeleteI will say that I think the Chris Fowler/Kirk Herbstreit team on ABC/ESPN is really strong -- one of the best teams in all of sports these days. I could see them doing a great job for the next ten years.
ReplyDeleteYes, Herbstreit is an Ohio State guy, and sometimes that comes through. But on the whole, I think he really tries to tell the truth.
DeleteHerbstreit has a lot in common with Jay Bilas -- they've both reached the top of the commentator tree through merit, they are both very good at their job, and they both have very strong opinions. But I think Herbstreit is better at calling it down the middle than Bilas.
DeleteAs for Fowler, he's just the best of his generation -- better than Nantz, better than Mike Tirico, better than all of them. When Fowler hosted "College Gameday," that was the best sports show on television, and now he is the best play-by-play guy on television.
DeleteTo give just one example: Fowler uses Herbstreit much better than Al Michaels does. Some of that may be because Herbstreit is more comfortable doing college football. But I also think, at this stage in their careers, that Fowler is just better than Michaels.
DeleteI also like Sean McDonough, who's the number-two guy for ABC/ESPN. I think he's excellent.
ReplyDeleteSo the announcer situation at ABC/ESPN is encouraging, but historically their features and production value aren't nearly as good as CBS. I always feel like I'm watching on WSIL.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, they have started the PGA Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. I don't like the format of this tournament, and 30 players is not enough for a great event, but East Lake is one of my favorite courses on Tour.
ReplyDeleteFedEx Cup Winners since the HP began:
ReplyDelete2010: Jim Furyk
2011: Bill Haas
2012: Brandt Snedeker
2013: Henrik Stenson (SWE)
2014: Billy Horschel
2015: Jordan Spieth
2016: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
2017: Justin Thomas
2018: Justin Rose (ENG)
2019: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
2020: Dustin Johnson
2021: Patrick Cantlay
2022: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
2023: Viktor Hovland (NOR)
Tiger won the FedEx Cup in 2007 (the first year it was offered) and 2009. He and McIlroy are the only golfers to win it more than once.
ReplyDeleteAfter the first round, Scottie Scheffler is seven shots ahead of Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele in the race for the FedEx Cup. So far this year, Scheffler has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Players Championship, the Masters, the Heritage, the Memorial, the Travelers Championship, and the Gold Medal at the Olympics. He would be a worthy FedEx Cup winner.
ReplyDeleteHere's the AP top 20 to begin the season:
ReplyDelete1. Georgia
2. Ohio St.
3. Oregon
4. Texas
5. Alabama
6. Mississippi
7. Notre Dame
8. Penn St.
9. Michigan
10. Florida St.
11. Missouri
12. Utah
13. Louisiana St.
14. Clemson
15. Tennessee
16. Oklahoma
17. Oklahoma St.
18. Kansas St.
19. Miami (Fla.)
20. Texas A & M
Please note that Florida State lost last week to Georgia Tech, so the Noles will fall next week when the new poll is released.
ReplyDeleteHere are the National Champions since the HP began:
ReplyDelete2010: Auburn
2011: Alabama
2012: Alabama
2013: Florida St.
2014: Ohio St.
2015: Alabama
2016: Clemson
2017: Alabama
2018: Clemson
2019: Louisiana St.
2020: Alabama
2021: Georgia
2022: Georgia
2023: Michigan
Here were last year's NCAA Champions:
ReplyDeleteDivision I-A: Michigan
Division I-AA: S. Dakota St.
Division II: Harding
Division III: SUNY Cortland
Vanderbilt! The Commodores fall from ahead, come from behind, fail on a last-second-in-regulation field goal, score on their overtime possession and then stop Virginia Tech on its: 34-27, Vanderbilt (1-0)!
ReplyDeleteKentucky! 31, Southern Miss 0.
ReplyDeleteAlabama 63, Western Kentucky 0.
Huge matchup at 6 p.m. Central Saturday in the Classic OVC: Eastern Kentucky (0-1) at Western Kentucky (0-1).
ReplyDeleteMiddle Tennessee 1-0, 1-0
Murray State 0-0, 0-0
Morehead State 0-0, 0-0
Austin Peay 0-1, 0-0
Tennessee Tech 0-1, 0-1
Eastern Kentucky 0-1, 0-0
Western Kentucky 0-1, 0-0
Middle took the early lead in the Classic OVC, edging TTU, 32-25. The home-standing Blue Raiders led, 24-11, with five minutes to play at Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro. Then two Jordyn Potts touchdown passes put the Golden Eagles ahead by one. But then senior halfback Frank Pleasant ran 30 yards with 16 seconds to play for MTSU's winning score.
That was a heartbreaker for Tech.
DeleteThe new AP poll is out. The Classic SEC has five teams in the top 20:
ReplyDelete1. Georgia
4. Alabama
6. Mississippi
14. Tennessee
18. LSU
The Classic Big 8 also has five top-20 teams, none of which is Nebraska or Colorado:
9. Missouri
15. Oklahoma
16. Oklahoma St.
17. Kansas St.
19. Kansas