NOVEMBERS OPENS WITH MORE SURPRISES
Monday 11/5/01
The last weekend in October lived up to the hype… but in the first weekend of November things got downright crazy. Let’s see we had: a 7 OT game, a team score 71 points and a QB pass for 500 yards with almost 300 going to one WR. The Arkansas/Ole Miss 7 OT game was historic and just plain unbelievable. I was lucky enough to watch it live and felt like I was riding a roller coaster. It really was like Houston Nutt said, both teams didn’t deserve to lose. Unfortunately somebody has to and that is why there is an OT in the first place. I like it. I have seen my share of ties, in fact the first college football game I ever went to was a tie, and I can’t stand them.
I just couldn’t believe how Arkansas and Ole Miss just continued to perform when the pressure was on and they had to make a score. Hey I guess it is time for the Matt Jones for Heisman campaign. The freshman QB for Arkansas was unbelievable in OT. He made some outstanding plays. I completely bashed him last week and I guess I was wrong. He just looks so lanky and awkward that you think he is just not any good but he has made some unbelievable plays the last 2 games. I also have to recognize the Arkansas Razorbacks, they are a pretty good team. I have pretty much trashed them the whole year but after beating 3 ranked solid SEC teams in a row it is time to give them some credit. My hat is off to Houston Nutt and the Arkansas team. They have been the biggest surprise in the SEC along side Ole Miss.
Speaking of Ole Miss, regardless of how great a game it was they Rebels lost and may have lost their best chance to ever make it to Atlanta. You could see it on every face as OT piled up. They could feel it slipping away. This was a tough tough loss for Ole Miss and I wonder if they can recover from it. They now must run the table and hope Auburn loses twice. It could happen but it makes things a lot tougher. Plain and simple, Ole Miss had a chance again and choked it away again in regulation. Arkansas is a good team but Ole Miss had to win this game at home.
Meanwhile the LSU Tigers reentered the race for Atlanta with a vengeance. The best passing combination in the conference outside of Gainesville wreaked havoc in Tuscaloosa. Just Rohan Davey throwing to Josh Reed accounted for almost 300 yards. Davey had 500 yards passing overall. I watched most of this game and there is no doubt Rohan Davey was on fire. He and Josh Reed played their best games in LSU uniforms. Only a first half interception and fumble kept the game close. LSU is now tied for 3rd place in the West with Arkansas. LSU and Arkansas play each other so one will be eliminated there. The winner must win out and hope Ole Miss loses once and Auburn loses twice. It is not too crazy a scenario.
I really thought that Bama had turned a corner against UT and was on their way up but maybe that was the last straw. I thought LSU was finished after they played so bad against Ole Miss. Man was I wrong. I tell you I just don’t understand how LSU with a good chance to get to Atlanta can play so bad against Ole Miss and then a long shot to Atlanta come play so well at Bama. I tell you I will never understand this game sometimes… The biggest winner in the West might be the Auburn Tigers who were open. Not even playing they gained a game on Ole Miss and now simply have to go 2-1 to win the West and go to Atlanta. However that is easier said than done as they must beat either Georgia or LSU on the road and Bama at home.
On the Eastern side of the conference Tennessee did it again and beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend. I predicted a Notre Dame upset and it appeared it would happen till the Irish fumbled twice at the UT goal line in the first half. UT took advantage, kept it close and took down the Irish in the second half. It is a tribute to the UT program that they could go up and win that game after 2 tough conference games. Meanwhile Florida utterly annihilated the Vanderbilt Commodores. The countdown is on for the “Clash of the Titans”. Things are looking very good for the Vols. All they have is Memphis, Vandy and Kentucky while Florida has South Carolina and Florida St. Anything could happen but it really looks like this Tennessee/Florida game could really be great… Till next week.