10 Things I Saw  

(1) Sam Bradford isn’t just the latest in a long line of successful Sooner quarterbacks. He’s got the talent to be the best of the bunch. Against Miami Bradford displayed a lightning quick release (think Marino-esque) on short throws, and really good zip on the intermediate throws. Remember, zip (a.k.a. velocity) is more important in the NFL than being able to throw the ball really far, so if Bradford improves his accuracy he will position himself to be a top NFL draft pick…..If (2) Brandon Cox and (3) Matt Grothe switched teams, Auburn might be the second best team in the SEC this year. Not to pile on Cox, but he just doesn’t have “it” as a quarterback. Grothe is a pure winner, and a pure playmaker. A joy to watch…..I told you about (4) Ali Highsmith didn’t I. The man is a human missile and is going to be one hell of an NFL outside linebacker, but he makes so many plays in the passing game his best fit might be in the middle of a Tampa 2 scheme. Either way, he was all over the field against Virginia Tech while their vaunted linebacking corpse led by Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall was nowhere to be found……Don’t look now, but (5) Nick Saban has Alabama is looking legitimately frisky in the SEC. The dynamic passing game led by John Parker Wilson and DJ Hall hasn’t really gotten going yet, but RB Terry Grant has been a revelation and the defense is solid. That was a nice win at Vandy, but now things start to get real tough with Arkansas……Sure it was Illinois and Mississippi, but Missouri QB (6) Chase Daniel has opened the year with a combined 689 passing yards to go with 8 touchdown passes without a pick to start the year. I don’t care who the teams are, putting up monster numbers like that on the road against Big 10 and SEC teams is just absurd……Washington St. QB (7) Alex Brink is the best quarterback you’ve never heard of or seen play. You’re just going to have to trust me on that one……This just in, (8) Syracuse sucks. I wonder if they’d even beat Temple……Since starting the season 9 for 9, Colorado QB (9) Codie Hawkins has completed only 24 of his 64 pass attempts. Now I’m not saying he’s only playing because he’s the coach’s son, but those numbers are flat out Reggie Ball like……Even assuming South Carolina loses at LSU in two weeks, the Gamecock should be 7-1 when they start the brutal last leg of their schedule at Tennessee and then at Arkansas. Both of those teams are overrated and both games are winnable. But, if South Carolina can split those two and hold serve at home against Florida, we could legitimately be talking about the South Carolina Gamecocks as the SEC East Division Champs. Let’s all say it together, “I will not doubt (10) Steve Spurrier. I will not doubt Steve Spurrier.”