Thursday Hodge Podge

A lot of stuff has been building up in J. Hawg's pending file as items that might be of some interest to Razorback Expats readers. All five of us. Four of whom post. In any event, a few notes as we prepare for the Hogs traveling to Mississippi State this weekend, and the Showdown in Nashvegas, Vols versus Dores. (In the entire history of that series, have the Dores ever been favored? They are this week. I'm not sure that's a good sign. For either team.)

*The SEC Stinks: Orson Swindle makes the point, somewhere in this post, which also jabs at LSU for managing to fall behind to Troy by 31-3 going into the fourth quarter, that the SEC is really not very good this year. This is not a very controversial thesis. Look at the Razorback Expats SEC Power Ranking: there's Florida, and Alabama, and then a lot of meh. In contrast, the Big 12 South alone has four teams that are really, really superlative: Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Here's the difference in my mind: quarterbacks. The Big 12 has at least six bona fide contenders. The SEC has about one decent quarterback, Tim Tebow, and he's really a fullback. John Parker Wilson? A caretaker. Matt Stafford? Slightly better, except in games that count. You have Jevon Snead with a chance to be good, but utter trainwrecks at Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas, Vanderbilt and South Carolina. I should go look this up, but I'm just gonna say it like it was a fact: the SEC leads all conferences in giving up pick-sixes. I feel safe in saying this because I think that, on their own, Jarrett Lee and Casey Dick could lead a conference in this stat.

*More evidence regarding the state of SEC football: Vanderbilt, yes, Vanderbilt, is speculating on where it might go bowling. All they need is a little help from Arkansas, and it's hey hey, ho ho, Vanderbilt in the Cotton Bowl!

*College football needs a New Deal: The reason that college basketball is the ultimate sporting event in America (It is! Go away ye fans of the Super Bowl) is that the teams actually play down to a real champion. As opposed to the utter silliness of the BCS. Well, sports fans, we finally have a president who wants to take this issue on. Okay, it's probably a few notches down the priority ladder from "save the economy" and "fix health care," but it's a start.

* Steel Magnolias: Oh my. In the great scheme of stupid made-up "rivalry" trophies, this one stands out. So to speak. As it were. Nudge nudge, wink wink. This almost makes "The Boot" look reasonable.

* Did I miss something?: Okay, I have a host of reasons to hate Tennessee basketball, most of which date all the way back to Bernard King and Ernie Grundfeld, but this takes the cake. Excuse me? Did these guys win something last year? A national championship? An SEC championship? A road game at Arkansas? That's what I thought. Save the over-the-top self-congratulatory pap for when you do something that counts.

* Jayhawks Never Forget: Even after the new coach wins a national championship, they can't forgive Roy Williams. Guys, give it a rest.

* The Evinrude-Wrangler Real America Bowl: No one compiles a list of spot-on, foul-mouthed hilarity like Orson Swindle. I give you...Bowl Games That Ought to Be. Some of these should happen. Seriously.