Earlier this decade, due to sensitivity about consumption of alcohol by college students, officials changed the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, to the official, and ever so creative, Florida-Georgia/Georgia-Florida game. Additionally, in May 2006, the Southeastern Conference asked the three networks which broadcast SEC football games not to use the moniker World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party anymore because it conveyed a message regarding consumption of alcohol that the schools didn't desire.
This is the equivalent of the owner of a strip club telling people to not call it by that moniker anymore because the name suggests that the place is going to have a lot of naked and semi-naked women dancing and doing suggestively lude acts. It's called a strip club because that's what happens there. If you've ever been to a Georgia-Florida game, or any college football anywhere in the country, or wait a minute, any college in the country save BYU (Mormons are weird), then you know exactly what happens there.
A lot of drinking that's what.
The Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is an awesome name for an awesome rivalry. SEC officials be damned, the Sporting Dudes use common sense and will call it such.
I got the chance to go to the game last year and see first hand the hundreds of thousands of people who turn up by car, boat, bus, and RV to tailgate and cheer on their teams. The thing is not just a game, its an event. People who aren't even fans come from all over just for the experience itself and to see things such as people riding motorized coolers. The atmosphere is incredible, the weather usually extremely pleasant, and the SEC women even better. I can only imagine how much wilder it will be this year since it falls on Halloween. Needless to say I am a little bitter to be sitting here in an office in New York, a place with neither pleasant weather or women.
On that note, it's Halloween, somethings crazy is bound to happen. On to the picks.
#1 Florida vs. Georgia (3:30 P.M.)
This game is the Bulldogs season. At 4-3 they really have nothing else to play for other than spoiling their arch-nemesis perfect record and run at a consecutive national title. Coming off a bye week and going against a Gators team that had to fight hard to beat Arkansas and Mississippi State this would seem like the perfect opportunity.
It would also seem that the Dawgs pitiful excuse for a pass defense (90th nationally) should come under fire against a Timmy Tebow playing his last collegiate game in his hometown and looking to get his stats back up to Heisman levels. You know what, I'll believe it when I see it. The Gators offense has sucked all year aside from beating up on NCAA powerhouses Charleston Southern and Troy (trust me when I say this, my flag football intramural team could have put up significant points against Charleston Southern) You know what the Gators are averaging outside of those two games? 25.8 points per game. You know what they are averaging since Tebow came back from his concussion? Just 21 points per game.
This is not an elite offense, not when all Urban Meyer calls is Tebow, Tebow, Tebow. Defenses, mediocre defenses at that, are catching on and loading up the box and trying to make Tebow beat them by passing. He and the Gators haven't proven they can.
It will catch up to them this week in Jacksonville. A.J. Green and the Dawgs are desperate. The wild (drunken) rumpus will start for UGA fans tomorrow.
Georgia 21, Florida 17
#4 USC at #10 Oregon ( 8 P.M.)
Logically I want to pick the Ducks. They have looked like the better and more complete of the two teams all season . Ever since that season opening loss at Boise State, Oregon has rolled on to beat its opponents by an average of nearly 24 points per game. On the other hand USC has been giving up points and yards like its bailout money. The past two weeks both Oregon State and Notre Dame have stayed in the game til the waning seconds. The game is in Autzen, one of the loudest stadiums in college football. USC is starting a true freshman at QB in Matt Barkley.
But then I saw this picture of Duck fans in banana outfits howling. I can't pick against that, I mean, come on. That's completely logical, right?
Oregon 42, USC 38.
#3 Texas at #13 Oklahoma State
If they go undefeated than they get to play for the national championship. If they are in the national championship than you can bet on the debate to start gaining steam on where Colt McCoy ranks in the history of greatest college quarterbacks.
And, most importantly, you can expect between 5-10 obligatory shots of his family on television during the game. You know who sits with his family? Rachel Glandorf, that's who.
I can't pick against that.
Texas 38, Oklahoma State 28
# 21 South Carolina at Tennessee (7:45 P.M.)
Tennessee is better than their record indicates. Led by NFL guru Monte Kiffin, the defense is elite. Beleaguered quarterback Jonathon Crompton has actually shown signs that he can successfully throw a forward pass the past couple of weeks. They have lost two close games to the #1 and #2 teams in the country. I still have no clue how they lost at home to UCLA though.
And while I think Spurrier is headed in the right direction (it's about time) with the Gamecocks, I still don't know what to make of this team. They only scored 7 points against a laughable NC State squad and lost to Georgia in a shootout. Even Vanderbilt played them close. Their signature win thus far is against an overrated Ole' Miss team.
I expect a motivated and pissed off Volunteer squad to pull this one out.
Tennessee 21, South Carolina 17
#20 West Virginia at South Florida ( 8 P.M.)
If you haven't already, watch WVU running back Noel Devine. He's Darren Sproles. Only faster.
And I would have predicted UNC beating Virginia Tech last night if I had had the time. You always know its going to be a great holiday season when Hokie fans have already realized their overratedness by November.
Enjoy the games and Halloween. I am sure no matter where we are, Jacksonville to Eugene, many of us will be looking like this come early Sunday:
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