This will be the last SEC Powerpoll for OrangeandBlueHue in more ways than one.  First I would like to thank Ryan for hosting this site and allowing me to be a part of it.  I’d also like to thank everyone involved with the Powerpoll for allowing us to participate these many years.  It’s been an honor and a priviledge and I’m amazed at the writing skills of so many of my fellow SEC Bloggers.  Not only is the SEC the BEST conference in the country but it has a collection of the best Bloggers in the nation also.

To finalize this SEC PowerPoll I wanted to do something different.  Thus I’ve decided to rank the teams and instead of writing a little blurb I decided to define each team with a famous movie quote.  The movies these come from are also in quotes.  The quotes have been altered to match each team in most cases.  Thanks to everyone and on with the show.

1) National Champion Alabama - “Mr. Saban, after careful consideration I’ve come to the conclusion that your new special teams coordinator sucks.” (Wargames)
2) Florida - “Your life is defined by its opportunities . . . even the ones you missed.”  (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
3) LSU - “We didn’t win?  INCONCEIVABLE!!! - Coach Miles you keep using this word.  I do not think it means what you think it means.” (Princess Bride)
4) Mississippi - “10-4, 8-4, 9-4, 9-4.  You see a pattern emerging here Scully?” (The X-Files)
5) Arkansas - “Why are you here Coach Petrino? - I’m here in case you succeed Mallet.” (Stargate)
6) Auburn - “This game is gonna get pretty interesting. - Define interesting. - Oh God, Oh God, we’re all going to die?” (Serenity)
7) Georgia - “I’ll speak slow so those of you who are Georgia defensive coaches in the room can understand” (Deja Vu)
8) Tennessee - “Villainy wears many masks, none of which are more dangerous than a coach who won’t shut up.” (Sleepy Hollow)
9) Kentucky - “You know how to coach this team right? - How do you think I got here? - Well, you crashed and burned in the NFL remember?” (Race to Witch Mountain)
10) South Carolina - “Your speechless . . . I see.  A fine quality in a coach.” (Aladdin)
11) Mississippi State - “How the hell do they expect us to win games with a schedule like this? - You don’t know the worst part. This bit we’re on now? - Yes? - It’s the easy part.” (A Bridge too Far)
12) Vanderbilt - “Tonight we dine and play in football HELL!!!” (The 300)

As always you can find the complete power poll at TeamSpeedKills HERE.

To the 2009 Season and to O&BHue I bid adieu.  And to keep in line with the theme of this post I’ll finish with a re-rendered version of one of the greatest quotes of all time.

The college world has turned over many times since I began blogging here at OrangeandBlueHue, and while the hopes and dreams of Gator Glory remain fresh in my memory I still remember the refrain which proclaimed most proudly that old bloggers never die; they just fade away.

And like the old blogger of that ballad, I now close my career here at O&BHue and just fade away, a Gator blogger who tried to do his best with the abilities that God gave him. Good-by.

Sincerely,

KelticGator

Although I am a little late in posting I did get my votes in on time, so that’s what counts!  This weeks ballot for the SEC Power Poll.

Florida - With a blowout of FSU, Florida appears to be peaking while Bama struggled with rival Auburn.  Unable to bear the thought of an uneven SECCG, Carlos DUMB-lap has decided to recuse himself from the contest.
Alabama - Finally a good game throwing the ball . . . against the worst defense in the SEC and 73rd ranked defense nationally.  And excuse me, 73 yards rushing agains the 10 best rushing defense in the SEC?  WTH?
LSU - There are the best teams, the worst teams and the middle of the pack. Congrats Tigers, you’re one of the best . . . of the middle of the pack.
Ole Miss -  Did the rebels get fired up at halftime or did they “fire up” instead?  Outscored 17-0 in the 3rd quarter.  “Oh hey guys, I think we were supposed to go back on the field!”
Arkansas - Hey Bobby, wanna win some more games?  I can’t believe you lose so many close games despite having the worst special teams in the league.  Do you think that’s a coincidence?
Tennessee - No way Fulmer delivers those big late season overtime wins over the Wildcats like the Kiffin crew can.  No way, no how!
Kentucky - Rich “Freakin” Brooks.  Does anyone do more with less year after year than this guy?  UK probably contends for titles in the ACC or Big 12.
Auburn - Auburn fans must be thrilled at that effort.  Nothing like never trailing in a game until the end to bring out the best in the Tiger faithful.
South Carolina - The Gamecocks can’t score more than 16 points in 5 straight SEC games before getting to play the ACC Atlantic Division Champs.  What a joke that conference is.
Georgia - I’m sorry but the best rushing team in the ACC, Coastal Champs Georgia Tech, barely break 200 yards agains the Dawgs.  Most teams get that by halftime on a Willie Martinez defense.
Mississippi State - Mississippi State went off on Ole Miss like Elin Woods on Tiger’s Escalade.  And like that situation it was either a heroic act or incredibly disturbing depending on your point of view.
Vanderbilt - Well what kind of record do you expect when the best athletes on campus play for the Debate Team???

One game left up, the SEC Championship Game for the SEC Crown and a chance to play for all the Marbles.  What more could you want?

As always you can find the complete power poll at TeamSpeedKills HERE.

Week 12 has passed and it’s time for another viewing of the O&BHue SEC Powerpoll ballot.

1) Florida - FIU provided the perfect patsies to work on the passing game.  It’s like invading Poland before attacking a real army to work out the kinks.
2) Alabama - Other than the obvious bragging rights the Alabama-Auburn game has surprisingly little importance overall.  It really IS like we have a playoff system!
3) Ole Miss - Nutt has the Rebels peaking at the right time. Despite being a preseason darling it looks as though the best the Rebs can do is match last season’s accomplishment.
4) LSU - I hope Les Miles realizes that his sideline gesture for “send the FG unit on!” is so similar to what most teams use to signal “spike the ball” as to cause confusion.
5) Arkansas - The Hogs average almost 48 points in their wins and 21 in their losses.  A low scoring game against LSU does not bode well.
6) Auburn - I think the “character recruits” Tubberville left at Auburn were actual character actors from the Orlando Disney Resorts.
7) South Carolina - Spurrier’s best bet against Clemson is trying to convince his team that the bye week was actually the end of the 2009 season and this game is the first of 2010.
8) Tennessee - One more win and Kiffin can pass Kentucky in the league standings . . . wow . . . IMPRESSIVE!!!
9) Kentucky - While the basketball team has been less than impressive so far Rich Brooks and company continue to forge this program ahead.
10) Georgia - UGA should wear black against Georgia Tech. 1) It will demonstrate the proper mourning for the season. 2) If the Dawgs lose badly maybe people won’t know who they are.
11) Mississippi State - If the Mississippi State defense was a dam, the whole team would have drowned by now.
12) Vanderbilt - There aren’t really a lot of answers for that offense. They just don’t seem to have anybody fast and they don’t seem to be able to block anybody.

It’s rivalry week and although that means it’s time for the SEC’s biggest rivalry in Alabama and Auburn, what most interests me are the interconference matchups between the SEC and ACC.  In that regard it’s time for South Carolina vs Clemson, Georgia vs Georgia Tech and Florida vs. Florida State.  While the Gators look to be a big favorite the other contests have the SEC participants playing the role of the underdog.  A slumping Gamecock team comes off a bye for a last ditch try at redemption.  A win against Clemson might salvage a once promising season for Spurrier’s crew.  A Georgia team in utter disarray can also restore it’s wounded pride with a win over the highly ranked Rambling Wreck.  For Florida State I look for another nail to be pounded into Bowden’s coffin.  Another embarrassing blowout loss in Gainesville (his third against Meyer) would all but seal the fate on the old man’s legacy . . . and not in a good way.

As always check out the combined SEC Powerpoll on Wednesday at TeamSpeedKills.

Only a few weeks left for the SEC Powerpoll.  In the final leg of the stretch run we have our current vote.  For the first time this season Alabama claims first place in the poll.

1) Alabama - Saban has a simple but effective formula to winning games.  I’m not sure why wide receivers would want to go there but I understand why running backs would be falling all over themselves to.
2) Florida - This team is what it is, a ball control offense and a defense that can absolutely destroy an offense late in games.  See Alabama in the SECCG, Oklahoma in the BCS game and the Gamecocks last week for more on that.
3) LSU - I’ve always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why I so enjoy watching Jarrett Lee play quarterback.
4) Ole Miss - The Rebels prove once again that they are better suited as the underdog than the favorite. Hell, Northern Arizona gave them a tougher game than the Vols.
5) Auburn - Ben Tate was right. He is the best back in the state . . . his home state of Maryland perhaps.
6) Arkansas - After giving up 56 points to both Arkansas and Florida, I think Troy should try and steer clear of SEC teams. There’s always the ACC though.
7) Tennessee - Lane Kiffin assured the media that his team was determined and focused despite recent events. Thank God! Imagine the whoopin we’d have witnessed had they been UNFOCUSED!!!
8) Georgia - Did the Bulldogs win?  These days I only check out Georgia games to see what they’re wearing.
9) South Carolina - South Carolina fans love Spurrier. Most are NASCAR fans and you won’t find any better wrecks this time of year than on the football field in Columbia!
10) Kentucky - Lookout Shrevesport, here we come!!!
11) Mississippi State - As a head coach of Mississippi State you do a lot of praying.  Most of the time the answer is “no”.
12) Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt University - making average opponents look great for over four decades!!!

Well the season is winding down but there are still some compelling games on the SEC slate.  LSU faces Mississippi in a bowl positioning matchup.  Despite wanting revenge from last year’s loss I think Ole Miss is the team to beat here.  The Tigers will need to have a serviceable Jordan Jefferson to have any chance of winning.  Tennessee meets in-state rival Vanderbilt.  The Vols need a win to become bowl eligible.  But with the current off-field circus who knows what Tennessee team shows up on Saturday.  MSU versus Arkansas and UK versus Georgia are essentially toss up games.  Maybe parity isn’t such a good thing after all.

As always check out the combined SEC Powerpoll on Wednesday at TeamSpeedKills.

Okay folks, week 10 is now in the record books and here are the latest O&BHue rankings for the SEC!

1) Florida - Tebow’s effort keeps him near the top in Heisman contention but . . . just barely.
2) Alabama - Another week, another tough game. This week a new hero rose up to save Alabama’s season. This weeks game ball goes to SEC Replay official Gerald Hodges!
3) LSU - LSU lost Charles Scott, Jordan Jefferson AND Patrick Peterson in the game.  The Tigers couldn’t have been more impacted if Saban had a sniper in the stadium.
4) Auburn - The Furman Paladins played themselves while the Auburn Tigers played a giant, 3-headed, fire breathing dragon enjoying some Paladin flavored BBQ.
5) Tennessee - With Memphis down only Vandy stands between the Vols and TOTAL DOMINATION OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE!!!  Behold the rise of the Kiffin Empire!
6) South Carolina - The Gamecocks have lost 3 of their last four and are on the verge of collapse. That can mean only one thing . . . THANKSGIVING IS ALMOST HERE!!!
7) Mississippi - How is it fair that N. Arizona has to play Sacramento State and Ole Miss BACK TO BACK?!?!  The schedule is not doing the Lumberjacks any favors this year.
8) Arkansas - Petrino has the Hogs one win away from bowl eligibility.
9) Georgia - Just what the doctor ordered for poor coach Richt.  A nice big cup of Ohio Vally Conference member Tennessee Tech to make things better.
10) Kentucky - The Vandy game will probably determine if Kentucky makes it’s 4th straight bowl game.  Although Georida is still on the schedule.
11) Mississippi State - Mullen and company await Alabama in the ultimate trap game.
12) Vanderbilt - Vandy, the only school that looks at the Memphis Football Program with stares of envy.

This weekend doesn’t bring us the BIG game like last week’s LSU-Alabama matchup but there are some compelling matchups in league.  Kentucky can ensure themselves a fourth consecutive bowl season with a win over Vanderbilt.  If they lose then they’ll need to upset either Georgia or Tennessee to get the bid (of course those games aren’t as daunting this season as in the past).  Auburn at Georgia looks like a game that could be a potential shootout.  Auburn scores a lot against average defenses and to say that Georgia has an “average” defense would be an insult to average defenses everywhere.  Florida and South Carolina still has some interest in it although late season Gamecock games quickly lose luster with their typical end of the year collapse. 

Alabama and Mississippi State could be the trap game of the year for the Tide.  Everything seems to set up for the Bulldogs who are playing much better now under Mullen.  MSU had the off week/they play at home at night/Alabama is coming off an emotional and physical marquee game, etc.  Tennessee and Ole Miss is actually an interesting game when it comes to bowl slotting.  Both teams are still fighting for second place in their respective divisions.

As always check out the combined SEC Powerpoll on Wednesday at TeamSpeedKills.

As the season draws into it’s final third here’s how things stand so far in our SEC Power Poll vote.

1) Florida - “We just got our face stepped on by a hob-nailed boot and right in the eye. Our eyes have been gouged, our backs have been broken and our souls stolen by those damn dirty Gators. Oh God Almighty . . . I can’t see!”
2) Alabama - Take a week off, drop a spot in the polls.  How do you like dem apples?  That’ll teach you to rest.
3) LSU - The Tigers could have blown out Tulane with their third team.  Bama had a bye and LSU had a pseudo-bye week.
4) Auburn - In the up and down SEC this is a week where it’s time to buy Auburn stock.  Next week could be a sellers market though.
5) Tennessee - Coach Kiffin credited the Vols win in part to the inspired play of his team and in part on the protection spell conjured by his coalition of elves, faeries and leprechauns to offset the “magical flags” of the SEC Overlords.
6) South Carolina - A late season swoon to a team that starts well and is ranked by midseason.  I think we’ve seen this movie before.  Can Spurrier direct a different script in 2009?
7) Georgia - I’m fine with Richt breaking out the black helmets and pants. My issue is with his decision to sit the starting defense in favor of the cheer squad. Sure those girls are tougher but they don’t play disciplined assignment football.
8) Ole Miss - With every passing week the evidence continues to mount in favor of the theory that Jevon Sneed’s body has been possessed by the spirit of Jarrett Lee. 
9) Arkansas - Arkansas was unable to schedule a bye week in the middle of an 11 game stretch but they were able to schedule Easterm Michigan . . . the next best thing.
10) Kentucky - This Halloween the Wildcats decided to dress up as Vandy and drop a close game they should have won.
11) Mississippi State - Anthony Dixon has averaged over 150 yards rushing in his last two games against Florida and Kentucky. Although, 252 of those were against UK.  Do they even play run defense in Lexington?
12) Vanderbilt - For two quarters Vanderbilt played 11th ranked Georgia Tech toe to toe.  Unfortunately during the halftime celebration someone forgot to mention the need to score points in the second half.

It seems to me that after the top of the SEC (UF, LSU and Alabama) that there is little difference between the 4th and 10th team in the league.  The middle of the SEC looks like the ACC - any team could win on any given day.  The big game of the weekend and the game of the year in the West pits the LSU Tigers versus the Alabama Crimson Tide.  Gator fans should pay close attention as this could determine our opponent in the SECCG.  Arkansas and South Carolina could be an intriguing game on a regional level.  This is about the time of the yearly Gamecock swoon.  A loss to the Razorbacks combined with Florida and Clemson on the upcoming schedule could spell doom for the folks in Columbia.

As always check out the combined SEC Powerpoll on Wednesday at TeamSpeedKills.

Last night I had the privilege of appearing on a podcast for Team Speed Kills with Brandon Larrabee of TeamSpeedKills.com and Phillip from Save The Shield discussing Florida, the Florida-Georgia game and the SEC PowerPoll.

Click Here to link to the Podcast.

It’s time for our weekly review of all that is SEC Football.

1) Florida - Tebow provided 13 of Mississippi State’s 19 points on interceptions returned for touchdowns.  That means that just having Tebow on the field more than tripled the Bulldogs point production for Tim’s former mentor Dan Mullen.
2) Alabama - The Tide proved they can win a nailbiter and also proved why it’s not a good idea to have a defensive end try and cover a tight end 20 yards down the field.
3) LSU - With an impressive overall performance LSU looks like they are quietly fitting into the guise of the darkhorse in this year’s SEC race.
4) South Carolina - I guess Spurrier wasn’t kidding when he said that Vanderbilt was more of a comparable opponent for the Gamecocks than Alabama.
5) Ole Miss - Snead still had too many turnovers but the defense and a few key big plays were enough to earn an impressive victory.
6) Auburn - Maybe we can’t read Gene Chizik’s (mum mum mum mah) p-p-p-poker face but is there any doubt the song playing in his head is actually Tom Petty’s “freefallin”?
7) Georgia - Georgia is coming off it’s most impressive defensive performance of the season before facing Florida.  And I meant the Vandy game not the bye week.  Okay . . . coming off their TWO best defensive performances.
8) Kentucky - What can you say about the Wildcats.  They’re kinda boring but they win.  Ummm . . . that’s all I got.
9) Tennessee - Another Saturday and another quality “loss” for coach Kiffin’s crew but I have to admit the “magical flag” comment was pretty funny.
10) Arkansas - Arkansas plays about as well against Houston Nutt as they did for him.  After lighting up the Aggies and Auburn Tigers the Hogs have proven beyond a doubt that the top SEC defenses can keep Mallett in check.
11) Mississippi State - Coach Dan Mullen has been publicly hammering the replay referee for losing the game for the Bulldogs. I still don’t understand why he let the ref call that fake punt in the first place.
12) Vanderbilt - If a Vanderbilt player falls on the field . . . . is anyone there to see it?

It’s time for the annual coctail party in Jacksonville.  Can Florida’s defense play any better?  Can Florida’s offense play any worse?  Which Georgia team will show up, the one that couldn’t score against Oklahoma State or the one that couldn’t be stopped against Arkansas.  Other league games of interest - Can Auburn stop the bleeding against Ole Miss or are the Rebels ready for a late season run?  Is South Carolina running into a Tennessee team at the wrong time?  Can the Gamecocks score against a formidable Vol defense?  Will Kentucky continue it’s strong play against an improving Mississippi State team?  Can Vandy avoid embarassing themselves and the league against Georgia Tech?  Probably not.

As always the combined SEC Powerpoll will be released this Wednesday on TeamSpeedKills.

It’s time for our O&BHue’s in depth analysis of all things SEC and college football.  Or mabye that’s just SEC college football . . . oh well . . . whatever.

1) Florida - For the first time in 16 games the Gators won a game by less than double digits.  Obviously it’s time to start shovelling dirt on their grave.
2) Alabama - The Tide finally found a quarterback, Mark Ingram.  Put him in the Wildcat and let him run or hand off to Trent Richardson because the only thing that could stop the Bama offense against South Carolina was when they attempted a forward pass.
3) LSU - There’s no truth to the rumor that including LSU’s bye week to their seasons total statistics will actually improve their offensive ranking.
4) South Carolina - The Gamecock offense actually won the game for the Tide with Garcia’s pick six.  The rest of the game’s offensive ineptitude on both sides simply turned out to be window dressing.
5) Arkansas - This week’s winner of he new SEC Lane Kiffin Moral Victory award.  Congrats Hogs.  Will this Saturday’s performance define the rest of the season in a positive or negative fashion?
6) Auburn - Can we forget about the quick start and get back to promoting firegenechizic.com now or what?
7) Georgia - Finally a solid and dominating performance against a quality . . . errrr . . . solid . . . errr . . . well against a football team.  One with helmets and pads and everything else a real team would have.
8) Mississippi - Whew, I was worried that Ole Miss might not pull out of that tailspin.  Take that UAB!!!  The Rebels are back!
9) Kentucky - I actually like Kentucky’s team and coaching staff but the questions surrounding their quarterback position keep me from ranking them higher.
10) Tennessee - The fact that I have Tennessee ranked number tenth has less to do with their team than the parity in the middle of the league.  After the top 2-3 the SEC is resembling last years ACC.
11) Mississippi State - Things are on the right track.  A good performance against the Gators might prove that.  A blowout loss might derail things a bit.
12) Vanderbilt - Your Mascot looks like a drunk George Washington with his hat on sideways.  Seriously, how do you expect to win with bad karma mojo like that?

Well Week 7 is gone and it’s time to look over the wounded and dead.  The SEC East after Florida is a mess of even teams (not counting Vanderbilt as a legitimate SEC team).  After Alabama and LSU the West is the same as the East.  And that might be too generous for the Tigers.  I thought Florida’s passing attack had problems until I saw the Tide try to throw the ball.  His performance in consecutive weeks against Ole Miss and South Carolina actually have Tide fans pining for the good old days of John Parker Wilson.

Games to watch this week in the conference are simple.  Alabama and Tennessee steals the spotlight as the 3:30 game and could conceivably prove to be a 9-6 ballgame.  On a slightly lower note but in a game that still has some interest (at least until Auburn drops a few more games) is the Tigers squared matchup in Baton Rouge.  Is either team for real?  This game could go a long way to separating the pretenders from the contenders.

As always the combined SEC Powerpoll will be released this Wednesday on TeamSpeedKills.

1) Florida - Tim Tebow, meet the LSU Tigers.  LSU Tigers, meet the face of defeat.
2) Alabama - The Tide have captured the momentum and glory that many expected Ole Miss to have this season.
3) LSU - Despite not having an upper tier offense Jefferson can still improve and the defense is top shelf.  Plus after the big two, no one in the SEC really stands out this year.
4) South Carolina - Spurriers team gutted out another SEC win but their offense is inconsistent and their defense does not possess enough speed to be elite.
5) Auburn - Gene Chizik’s defense was exposed by Arkansas.  Thus far they had been living on Mahlzan’s offensive mind and borrowed time.
6) Georgia - Mark Richt likes to partake in that good Tennessee hospitality.  And as long as his teams continue to lay an egg in Knoxville he will always be welcome.
7) Ole Miss - The Rebels will only go as far as the defense can take it.  If they could find themselves some decent quarterback play to go along with it they might actually be scary.
8) Tennessee - Up until now the Tennessee coaches have treated every loss as if it was some kind of moral victory.  I wonder how they will handle an actual win in the SEC.
9) Arkansas - With two straight blowout wins under their belt can Petrino’s hogs actually throw a scare into Florida in Gainesville?
10) Kentucky - Losing their QB and a game that was definitely winnable will test the mettle of this Wildcat program.  Rich Brooks better summon up all his magic voodoo if he plans on making it to four bowl games in a row.
11) Mississippi State - Once again the Bulldogs come up just short against a quality opponent.  Turnovers are killing MSU now but this season but their competitive nature could prove to be a springboard for the program under Mullen.
12) Vanderbilt - Getting smoked by Army, good job Vandy.  Hey Bobby Johnson, if you haven’t escaped Nashville by now you never will.

Despite comments by blowhard pundits like Tim Brando and Mark Schlabach, Alabama has not proven itself to be the best team in the country.  To be the best you have to beat the best.  Florida beat Alabama last season without it’s best offensive player.  Harvin is gone this year so it’s still fundamentally the same two teams out there, just a bit more experienced.  Bama has the problem of having to play through the stronger SEC Division. Despite the loss LSU is not out of the SEC or National Championship picture.  Bama has South Carolina, Tennessee, LSU and in-state rival and resurgent Auburn left on their schedule.  By the end of the year we will know if Alabama is for real, they will have been forged under fire.

The combined SEC Powerpoll will be released on Wednesday on TeamSpeedKills.