Blitzkrieg in the Bayou

Portions of a letter from the Editor earlier this week:


Mr. Nama,

The hardworking, albeit distractable staff here at BDB would like to express our apologies to you as the runner up in last week's trivia. We understand you correctly answered the bonus question and then followed up with a terrific sudden death answer. However, the other contestant pulled the "Married to the Creator" Trump card, and the Burnette sofa is a lonely place. After 11 years of marriage, Bernie knows when to fold 'em and we hope that as a married veteran yourself, you will understand. Please accept this bonus link as a consolation and we look forward to your continued support of all things Blawg.


So ...........BDB readers, the winner is obviously Jenn from Lawrenceville. As luck would have it, last week's trivia was sponsored by Podere Le Caselle. Pick a week honey, I'll call Delta.


Last week's trivia results just prove that, with an imperfect system, controversy can happen. You know, just like with the BCS. The first BCS rankings were released Sunday afternoon and since then every college football fanatic, writer and coach has spent tireless hours poring over every detail. The humans love the Trojans, but the computers hate 'em. Is Ohio State making a move for a third consecutive BCS Title Smackdown? Could this be a dream season for JoePa? One where he could get a new hip and a BCS pat on the back?


None of that drivel here at Bernie's Dawg Blawg. It's LSU week ......which happens to precede the annual Border War in Jacksonville.......which happens to precede a trip to Lexington, which is of course followed by a trip to JurdanHair. (Deep Breath! .......exhale.) Then there's a bye week before Johnson's Jackets make their first visit to Athens.


You get the idea. There's much work ahead. Let's get busy!


I've been having this feeling in my gut the past week or so. Meals came and went and it was still there. We won Homecoming against Vandy and it only intensified, so I surmised that it had something to do with the Dawgs. I fretted and worried ....until finally it dawned on me. It was like the elephant sitting in the corner of the room that my psyche refused to address. Only when my mind came out of the fog, I realized there were TWO elephants. One was the fact that I am running out of reasons to predict Dawg victories. We've dominated two teams the last couple of weeks and yet the game wasn't over until the end. Perplexing. The other was the fact that this is BDB's 13th edition. I don't consider myself really, REALLY superstitious. My wife for instance will spend an entire quarter of a game adjacent to a concession line if she feels it is helping Coach Bobo focus. I don't go quite that far. But I do wear certain items of clothing to games if we are successful. I may adjust somewhat due to weather, but the basic outfit stays the same. Probably like you, my "black-out" attire has been retired.


But #13 coming just before LSU, that's hard to dismiss. From what I saw of their game against South Carolina the other night, LSU may not have all of the play makers they are used to having, but they are every bit of the physical team we have grown accustomed to seeing from our creole cousins. And "the HAT" is always innovative. Their big D-tackle Ricky Francois Jean Louis Jumbalaya (or whatever his name is) was out for the Carolina game and they found themselves thin, so they used four defensive ends on the front line. The result - 6 sacks, 7 tackles for loss against the chickens. I can't remember how many we had against the Visor, but I know it wasn't that many.


Nearly a year ago we all had penciled in Miles for the Michigan job; he stayed but Defensive Coordinator Pelini left for Lincoln. The LSYou defense is still very aggressive under co-coordinators Peveto and Mallory. And you can bet they wanna pressure our youthful big heftys. I expect they'll have their backers and safeties dialed up early and often to test Boling and company. I also expect Bobo to counter with some quick throws and a lot of I-formation to allow Chapas/Southerland and Moreno to help pass protect on second and longs.


On the other side, our D must prepare for one fairly inexperienced QB (Lee) who seems to have a talented arm. And they'll prepare for another (Hatch) who used his brain to get into Harvard, but used his SkyMiles to fly south as a transfer. Crowton likes to use Brainiac to create space with his legs, but he will pass on occasion. Both Lee and Hatch are still young in terms of SEC coursework, so I believe Martinez will throw multiple looks at the duo and try to pressure them into some mistakes. Crowton will counter by keeping our front honest with a steady diet of Charles Scott and Keiland Williams. But perhaps their most lethal offensive threat is one that barely towers over Mary Lou Retton. Trindon Holliday can run the length of the field faster than it takes us to sit down on a sofa. But at a meager 170 pounds, I think one shot from Rennie may just sideline Junior for somewhere between a few plays and an eternity.


My faithful readers, let's huddle up a minute ..........We're at a crossroads in the season, ladies and gents. In nine days we'll be heading home from Jacksonville. If we cross that state line with two more losses than we have today, we've gone from dreaming of going to Atlanta for the SEC Title game to the reality of possibly going to Atlanta for the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. If we split the games and go 1-1, we better hope that one win is against Florida if we're to have any chance at an SEC crown. With either of those scenarios unlucky #13 will have bit us good and the rumblings will have turned into grumblings in terms of what is ailing this talented team.


But I'm staring straight at the end of this 13th blawg and I'm smiling. I'm smiling cuz I have faith in another number ...... 7!! Stafford has yet to have a moment as a Dawg. We've heard the pundits point that out on occasion, despite his talent and NFL upside. He hasn't had that moment that other Dawgs have had to transcend their status as another scholarship player into a BullDawg of Lore. Greene had his moment early in his career. Before Munson made his Hobnail Boot call, Richt and staff called for P-44 Haynes. Now we see the replay every home game on the BigBoard. Greene had another at Auburn the next season when he hit Michael Johnson on 70XTakeoff to secure a shot at the SEC Title. Pollack - INT @ South Carolina. Herschel - placing his cleat marks on Bill Bates chest in Knoxville. Buck Belue - Lindsay Scott. 'Nuf said there.


And how about this one....Quincy Carter - he had a performance of a lifetime as a freshman in '98. He was on the road to Freshman of the Year honors in the SEC and he was on the road in ........Baton Rouge. He was near perfect in leading the Dawgs to an upset of then #6 LSU 28-27.


We've seen highlights of Stafford ripping his helmet off and running to celebrate with his team after throwing the game winning TD in OT to Mikey last year at Alabama. But this blawgger doesn't believe that was his moment. He has more talent than David Greene, he has a bigger arm than Buck Belue and he has a better head on his shoulders than Carter. But those and others have moved their name into places of Butts-Mehre where they will stay long after we're gone. #7 has made plenty of big plays, but Stafford's moment (I will argue) is still out there. And I think it shows itself sooner rather than later. Why not this weekend?



Dawgs 31


Crazy Creoles 13




Trivia brought to you this week by humble pie and boiled crow. They don't taste good, but it beats sleeping downstairs. Standing 4 feet tall, weighing nearly 200 pounds and valued at $10,000, this rivalry trophy is believed to be the heaviest of all rivalry trophies. What is its name and what two teams battle for the chance to (....ugh.....UGH!!....) lift it?



To those travelling to Cajun Country, beware of voodoo dolls and undercooked Boudin. And if given the choice of spending 10 seconds in Mike's cage or Rastlin' with Ti-Paul Jean Phillipe ......play it safe .......................choose the tiger.








Bernie