PIG'S PICKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another great week of games and another edition of Pig's Picks...your source for making a lot of money without working. Looking at this week's slate of games in the SEC I have decided this week is "Egyptian Cotton Week". These lines are so big there is no way the underdogs cant cover these spreads. Egyptian cotton covers....get it?



Game 1: Tennessee vs. Mississippi State (Tennessee by 7 1/2)


Ah yes its been another exciting week for an Alabama fan living in the Volunteer state. Both of these teams have underachieved this season giving their preseason expectations. Tennessee was ranked looking to repeat as SEC East champs and Miss St. was looking to turn the corner after their first bowl appearance under Sly Croom. This game is in Knoxville so I understand throwing the Vols a few points but 7 1/2 is a lot and the Bulldogs are coming off a big win over Vandy last weekend. I see this game coming down to the wire with the Fightin' Sly Crooms' covering this spread.

PIG'S PICK: Mississippi State to cover



Game 2: # 10 Georgia vs. # 22 Vanderbilt ( Georgia by 15)

Conventional wisdom and years of playing each other would leave the average mind to say "Georgia is good, Vandy is Vandy and there is no way the Dawgs won't cover." Good thing I am a genius. Here are some facts. Georgia is not as good as we thought they were. Vandy is better than we thought they were but not great. Georgia has more talent than the Dores. Vandy has a lot of heart and will play UGA hard. People see the name Vandy and assume they are terrible, but this team is not. Go against your conventional wisdom and go with Pig. Take the Dores to cover.

PIG'S PICK: Vandy to cover



# 13 LSU at South Carolina (LSU by 2 1/2)

Holy smokes how LSU got smoked last weekend and I have to admit I loved it!!!!! On the other side South Carolina has been hot as a firecracker lately and gets the Bayou Bengals in Columbia. Everything looks ripe for an upset in this one but NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!!!!! While South Carolina will play for the Tigers hard LSU will have to much talent in the end and pull away from the Gamecocks. On a side note I really hope I am wrong for Alabama's sake and South Carolina wins and have their ever been two crazier coaches than Spurrier and Miles going against each other?

PIG'S PICK: LSU


Arkansas at Kentucky ( Kentucky by 7 1/2)


These two teams are just not very good and average at best. Kentucky just does not have the talent on the offensive side of the ball and Arkansas is young, rebuilding, and adjusting to Bobby Petrino. The Hogs did score a huge win at awwwwburn last weekend (hahaha). Anyway you don't need to hear about this game because I know you do not care. This one will be close with Kentucky winning in the end and the Hogs cover.


PIG'S PICK: Arkansas to cover


# 2 Alabama vs. Ole Miss (Alabama by 12 1/2)

Ohhhh how I hate this game. Both teams are coming off a bye week so they should be well prepared for each other and relatively healthy. I say I hate this game for a few reasons. 1. We tend to play a lot better as the underdog (Clemson and Georgia) and struggle as big favorites (Tulane and Kentucky). The key to this one is getting to Rebel's QB Jevan Sneed and making him feel uncomfortable. If Alabama lets him sit in the pocket all day he will find open guys. On the other hand I think Alabama will be ready for this one. Ole Miss beating Florida at home a few weeks ago can do nothing but help us be ready to go. I also like the game being in Tuscaloosa. I like the Tide to win, just don't think it will be by 13 plus.

PIG'S PICK: Ole Miss (to cover, Alabama will win the game)

Former Tide Great Shaun Alexander Signs with Redskins

This is not huge news on the national front but it is GIAAANT news to me, so I am letting you know about it. One of my favorites of all time and former Alabama great running back Shaun Alexander signed a deal with my beloved Washington Redskins this afternoon.

Alexander was signed because Redskins backup RB Ladell Betts injured his knee Sunday against the Rams. The plan is for Alexander to backup starting RB Clinton Portis but at least our boy Shaun is back in the league. The full story is linked below.

Shaun is a 'Skin

By the way, for those of you reading this and who know me a Shaun Alexander Redskins jersey would be a sweet gift.

Would the real Ole Miss Rebels please stand up...

2nd ranked Alabama has had two weeks to prepare for this Saturday's game against the University of Mississippi Rebels. The only problem is you are never sure what Ole Miss team you are going to get any given week.

In his first year, Head Coach Houston Nutt has brought some new wrinkles to Oxford and there is no doubt Ole Miss is better this year than they have been in the past, largely due to their new QB Jevan Sneed. The Achilles heel of this team, however, has been its inconsistency.

Let's review the Rebels season so far. At 3-3 this is how Ole Miss has gotten there: Memphis-Win, Wake Forrest-Loss, Samford-Win, Vandy-Loss, Florida-Win, South Carolina-Loss. Do you notice the trend here? They win one, lose one. Unfortunately for us, they are due for a win using this formula. Some will say that two of their three wins are against inferior competition in Memphis and Samford. The bad or good news for Alabama, depending on how you look at it, is their shocking win over then # 4 Florida at The Swamp.

On one hand, it should scare Tide fans in the fact that if Ole Miss is good enough to go to Gainesville and beat the Gators, they can come to Tuscaloosa and beat us. On the other hand, it might help Alabama keep a focus on Ole Miss and not look ahead. Watching every minute of Alabama football this season and in the years past, you can also see a trend that has developed. We play our best when we are truly challenged. Our two best performances this year have been when we enter the game as an underdog, Clemson and Georgia. We had far more talent and blew out Western Kentucky and played great at rebuilding Arkansas but went through the motions and did not look good against Tulane and Kentucky. I wrote off the Kentucky performance to the Cats being better than we originally thought, but then a very average South Carolina team goes to Lexington last week and takes it to 'em.

Even looking back at last season the same Alabama team blows out eventual SEC East champ Tennessee then has one of the worst losses in school history to LA-Monroe at home a few weeks later. The reality is this has been Alabama football in recent history....playing to competition.

I give you that rant to prove why I think Ole Miss winning at Florida will help Alabama. We need to be ready to go or this team will beat us. If the Kentucky and Tulane games proved anything it proved Alabama is not good enough to just show up and win, we have to give everything we have every week if we want this dream year to continue. While Alabama has looked like the better team thus far and has far more to play for, this is a game to be nervous about given Ole Miss' recent trend....just ask the Urban Meyer.

A Tribute to Coach O

As we all know it is Ole Miss week and the Rebels come to Tuscaloosa under new coach Houston Nutt. We have all week to preview Nutt and his 2008 Rebels, but let us take a look back at the greatest coach in Ole Miss history...Ed Orgeron.

This link gives us a look at my hero.

Coach O's record at Ole Miss was 10-25 overall and 3-21 in the SEC and has to live life knowing he never beat Mike Shula (ouch), but that does not matter. What does matter is that you could not understand a word the man said, he was jacked, and probably my favorite college coach ever this side of Nick Saban.

Sure, Nutt may have a better SEC record but more importantly, who would you take in a fight?

Ronald P. McDonald Accepts awwwburn OC position

While I realize this is not relevant specifically to Alabama athletics, I would not be doing my job if I did not report that Auburn University named fast food legend and well known funny man Ronald P. McDonald their new offense coordinator effective immediately. While this might come as a shocking move to many head coach Tommy Tuberville feels this is the best solution for his team's offense woes after his Tigers dropped a 25-22 stunner at home to lowly Arkansas on Saturday.

On a 4:15am phone call last night Tuberville gave Inside the Tide the scoop.

"Our offense has been a joke for a long, long time and we feel that Ronald, with his clown experience can add a lot to our program. While McDonald does not have any formal coaching experience he has proved successful in the past at making people smile at kid's birthday parties and is one of the best plastic ball pit operators in the country.

"The first thing I am going to do is fix the makeup of our players." When asked what he felt was wrong with the mental makeup of his players McDonald responded, "No. I am talking about actual makeup...for their faces."

Another key element McDonald brings to Auburn is his great style. Not coaching style, actual style. While he does not dress quite as dapper as Head Coach Tuberville, his MC Hammer pants and striped socks should fit in nicely with the rest of the Auburn staff.

A very inside source (The Hamburgler) also told me in confidence that McDonald was actively recruiting his good friend Grimace (pictured) to quarterback the Tigers next season and was quoted as saying "He can't be any worse than what we have right now."