More photos » Patrick Semansky - AP

Bob Toledo's Green Wave actually have cause to believe they'll beat our Rebels, and that's sad.

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RED CUP RADIO
Give it a listen. Scroll down to the post from yesterday and click play on the widget to hear yours truly lament our loss and look forward to New Orleans along with Ivory Tower and One Man to Beat. Listen to us tell bad jokes. Listen to our thoughts on the pick 'em. Oh, speaking of the pick 'em.

RE SUBMIT YOUR PICKS
I took out the UK vs. WKU game and the Arkansas vs. ULM game in favor of Florida State vs. Oklahoma and Miami vs. Ohio State. I hope you won't mind.

College Football BlogPoll is Up
Either our ballot wasn't submitted or it was tossed out as a form of ridicule. Either way, Alabama's still number one and Ole Miss doesn't get a single vote from anyone, not even in error. And follow this link for the animated BlogPoll over at Rocky Top Talk. There's a Star Wars reference in there (HINT: Colonel Reb folks ain't gonna like it).

Week 2 SEC TV Schedules | TeamSpeedKills
There are a lot of excellent games on this weekend, starting with Mississippi State and Auburn tonight. Follow the link and get your DVR ready, y'all.

SEC Precidtions: Week 2 | ESPN.com
Chris Low thinks the Rebels will beat Tulane. He also sees state pulling out a nailbiter on national TV tonight. Thursday games do tend to favor the home team, so it wouldn't at all be shocking were that to happen.

Brett Flashnick - AP

7 days ago: South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia, left, celebrates a first-quarter touchdown with South Carolina tackle Kyle Nunn, center, and South Carolina guard Rokevious Watkins, right, during the first half of their NCAA college football game against Southern Mississippi, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010, at Williams-Brice Stadium, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Brett Flashnick)

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The goings on of the rest of the SEC are somewhat difficult to truly follow. Because of the number of times that JUCO and I have seen uninformed fans make sweeping judgments of opposing teams based solely on their quarterback and halfback, we decided to start a segment where, though we will talk about halfbacks and quarterbacks, we'll also talk about the other players on teams that are succeeding or failing.

Florida 1-0 (0-0 SEC)
As I turned on the game in the second half on Saturday, I saw that Florida was barely leading Miami of Ohio.  How was that possible?  What ensued was a series of fumbles and ugly offense.  Do you think that the Florida fans wanted Tebow back at all?  With only 212 yards of total offense, are they fed up with Steve Addazio?  The game ended up a less embarrassing 34-12, but that is nothing near the thrashing that Urban Meyer teams like to give cupcakes.  John Brantley ended up with 113 yards passing.  From a rushing standpoint, Demps did well to get 100+ yards.  We might not learn too much this week when they host USF, but maybe they'll demonstrate an ability to snap the ball efficiently.  

Georgia 1-0 (0-0 SEC)

Saturday's whipping of Louisiana-Lafayette was the long awaited debut of redshirt freshman qb Aaron Murray.  He did well going 17-for-26 with 3 TD's and 1 Int.  QB Hutson Mason also played a little bit going 2-for-5 with a TD.  Carlton Thomas and Caleb King combined to run for 108 yards.  Their leading receiver was Kris Durham, whoever that is.  This week, the Dawgs travel to South Carolina for an 11 am match-up on ESPN2.  Many believe that the winner of this game wins the East.

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Yeah, it's on again. Wanna take a guess as to what we're talking about? If you said the JSU loss and the upcoming Tulane game, then you've won!

So join in either by chatting, tweeting, or calling in or, if you're not one for participation, just give her a listen. If you want to hear us discuss anything else in particular then drop a comment, otherwise be there at 8PM Central. Chat link is here. Listening Widget is below.

More photos » Butch Dill - AP

Apparently Arkansas State forgot to call a QB contain...

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The goings on of the rest of the SEC are somewhat difficult to truly follow. Because of the number of times that BWE and I have seen uninformed fans make sweeping judgments of opposing teams based solely on their quarterback and halfback, we decided to start a segment where, though we will talk about halfbacks and quarterbacks, we'll also talk about the other players on teams that are succeeding or failing.

ALABAMA 1-0 (0-0 SEC) 

It's scary to me that Eddie Lacy, Alabama's third or fourth-string halfback, ran for 111 yards in their opener versus San Jose State. What a testament to Bama's offensive line. Alabama crushed San Jose State 48-3, and you wouldn't have known that their defense lost nearly everyone from a year ago. The Crimson Tide allowed just 175 yards of total offense. If for some reason you weren't scared before, you have plenty of time to get scared before our Rebels head to Tuscaloosa. Alabama plays host to the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday at 7:00 PM on ESPN.

ARKANSAS 1-0 (0-0 SEC)

Senior linebacker Anthony Leon accounted for four tackles for loss including two sacks in Arkansas' destruction of Tennessee Tech. The defense, which has a lot to prove, allowed 187 yards of total offense. They've still got a long way to go before we annoint them as a good defense, but that's certainly a start. The offense rolled to over 500 yards of offense. This team could be really good. Watch them destory UL-Monroe Saturday at 6:00 on ESPN3 or the SEC Network.

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More photos » Cheryl Gerber - AP

We're thinking of avoiding the Quarter, but we'll still be revelrous and such.

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After some discussion, Ivory Tower and I have decided against setting up the Red Tent Rebellion in New Orleans. There are many reasons for this, most notably among them is the fact that there's a lot of stuff going on that weekend that many of us and you are all interested in being a part of. There's the ShArK tAnK on Bourbon, live music, the New Orleans Seafood Festival, and a bevy of incredibly exciting games throughout the country which will be undoubtedly broadcast on any and every sports bar you can stumble across in the Crecent City. We'll have plenty to do outside of the game so, we feel it best to save our tailgating efforts for more suitable experiences.

We do, however, want to have a post-game RCR meetup/party type thing. The game kicks off at 8PM. That puts it ending somewhere right around 11:15 or 11:30. Y'all know you won't be done by then (If you are done by then, well, I guess you were really tuckered from partying beforehand. That, or you're a geezer.), and y'all know we'll be in the mood for a few drinks together win or lose (WIN DAMN IT WIN), so let's tentatively plan this thing for midnight after the game.

So now, where? A few folks have suggested the following places (I've provided some links and personal annotations - feel free to elaborate):

• Ryan's Irish Pub on Decatur and Bienville: Google Maps : Website (no page, reviews on Google) - My brother suggested this place. I've never been but he likes it. If it's an Irish Pub, that means we all know what to expect and we all know we can behave boistrously and fistfight Englishmen without reproach. It is technically in the French Quarter, but far enough away from Bourbon Street to avoid the riff-raff accompanied therewith ("Riff-raff in this case refers to underage vomit, hookers, dudes in cargo shorts and K-Swiss shoes, et cetera).
• Ugly Dog Saloon and BBQ on Tchoupitoulas and Higgins : Google Maps : Website - In the more subdued Warehouse District, Ugly Dog isn't far at all from the Superdome and apparently has a decent sports-ish bar area. I have no idea if the food's any good or not.
• The Avenue Pub on St. Charles and Polymnia : Google Maps : Website - For starters, the place never closes so we could, were we to have the have the vitality, party there all weekend. Secondly, being near the Garden District (The Lower Garden District? Central City? What exactly does one call this nieghborhood?) means it's not too far of a hike or a fairly cheap cab ride from the dome. And, finally, they boast 31 rotating taps with an excellent selection of both imported and domestic beers.
• Ye Olde Original Dungeon on Bourbon and Toulouse : Google Maps : Website - I really cannot tell if y'all offer up this bar in jest or not. Having been there only once during One Man to Beat's bachelor party, I cannot really recall much of the place other than it being cramped, poorly lighted, filled with viking looking sumbitches rhythmically stomping around, and too loud to think. They do offer up a noxious concoction called the "Midnight Potion" which, as One Man can surely attest, is quite effective at making you do things you otherwise wouldn't normally do. Remember, this is a heavy metal bar. We'll be dressed in Ole Miss gameday attire. Irony doesn't even begin to describe the potential visuals here.

Of course, these are not our only options. If you've got a suggestion, please drop it below. Discuss these along with your suggestions and reach some sort of general consensus so that we may "announce" something more "official" later on this week.

As we venture into the second week of college football, we looked at our power poll ballot and realized, fairly quickly, that some of these things were, simply, not going to turn out the way we are predicting them right now.  The crazies have already caught up with Ole Miss; they're coming to a stadium near the rest of y'all sometime soon.  That being said, we've used the only reliable method available for early-season power polling:  we bought twelve bratwursts, gave them cute names associated with each SEC team, and, what do you know, my dog ate Rick Sadbone first.

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More photos » Rogelio V. Solis - AP

I mean, look, Allen Walker freakin' had the guy, and he still completed the 2-point conversion. Incompetency + horrible luck = Ole Miss football.

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Is Jacksonville State This Year's Appalacian State? | AJC.com
Tony Barnhart is asking "will they win the FCS championship," something which, as Rebels, we really need to hope for. Such an outcome won't exactly completely save face or anything, but it will help ease the pain and redirect the narrative. And, fun tidbit that many of y'all may not have been aware of:

[Gamecock Head Coach Jack] Crowe has been on the other end of a crushing Division I-AA upset. On Sept. 5, 1992 Crowe was starting his third year as the head coach at Arkansas. But on that fateful day Arkansas lost to The Citadel, 10-3, in the season opener. A furious Frank Broyles, the Arkansas athletics director, didn’t wait 24 hours. He marched into the football offices Sunday morning and fired Crowe on the spot and named defensive coordinator Joe Kines as the interim head coach.

As the self-proclaimed Mr. College Football puts it, what goes around, comes around.

Ole Miss' Pain Rates Behind 1970 Stunner | Rick Cleveland
People (who?) had questions for Rick Cleveland and he answered. He talks about Ole Miss, State, Southern, and even Jackson State here, but his focus is, naturally, on the state's disappointing flagship.

TCU Coach to the Horned Frogs, "Don't Be The Next Ole Miss" | DallasNews.com
The Horned Frogs' head coach, Gary Patterson, told his team not to lose to thier upcoming Ohio Valley Conference opponent by reminding them of our batshit insane loss to the Gamecocks of the Yellowhammer State. TCU plays Tennessee Tech this weekend. They won't lose.

Taylor Grocery | Taylor Takes a Taste
Taylor, some food bloggeur from Wisconsin, recently visited Oxford and did a fine job photographing and blogging about Taylor Grocery, Big Bad Breakfast, and Ajax. It's worth a look, especially if you're like me, a member of the Rebel diaspora desparate for a return to the promised land.

More photos » Rogelio V. Solis - AP

He's an expert on taking our pain and distributing it on someone far more deserving.

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As with Houston Nutt coached teams, we were bound to lose to someone we weren't supposed to. Of course, none of us expected it to be in double-overtime to an FCS team which we at one point led by 21, but it happened. And so, as with Vanderbilt-then-Florida in 2008 and LSU-then-TSFWCDAO in 2009, this agonizing yin will be somewhat offset by an uplifting yang against a ranked SEC opponent looking past the Rebels or succumbing to a horrible stroke of bad luck.

It will happen. We'll hoot and holler and Hotty Toddy and stuff. It will be fun. And, who knows, with the way the SEC and BCS title hunts look right now, such a loss could easily knock someone out of legitimate title contention. That would be double fun! That'd make us the kid in town who pees in the pool with a grin on his face. Delightful, huh?

So, to keep it simple, Cuppers, who will this opponent be? Our options are Alabama, a team which is likely to still be #1 by the time we play them in Tuscaloosa, a place in which our Rebels have only won once (if I'm not mistaken); Arkansas, a team rooted for by crazies and also playing in a hostile environment to the Rebels; Auburn, a team we always seem to play close but come out losing; or LSU (for shiggles)?

I'm as vicious as I am amorphous.

Fun as it was, I, for one, am about done with self-loathing.  It's time to get back to what makes college football fun - loathing somebody else.  This week we turn our rage-filled eyes to the glorious New Orleans.  Rebels have long-standing reasons to feel at home in NOLA.  And many of us are ready to live up to our real claim to fame - never losing the party, which should be pretty easy to do in Sin City - South.

Which makes Tulane's total ineptitude at football all the more stunning.  Really, Tulane?  You're in one of the most badass, fun cities in the world for folks, particularly, aged 18 - 22, and you couldn't figure out how to recruit a couple of good athletes to your school.  It must be because you're a private, predominantly white institution with little football tradition.

Damn, hurricanes.

Oh, shit.  Speaking of 'Canes, Tulane, you and your government-entitled city can shove your victimhood right up Anderson Cooper's Ninth Ward.  I know that everyone in the Ole Miss faithful ain't from Mississippi.  But y'all know that Haley Barbour wasn't just being folksy when he talked about how Mis'sip hitched up her britches.  I can hear self-important journalists still waxing poetically about how "the city may never be the same."  May?  MAY?  I guarantee you that Diamondhead will never be the same because it's not there anymore.

Finally, Tulane, we note that you are a bunch of pansies.  You, once a member of the proud Southeastern Conference, left, scared of the competition.  Vanderbilt scoffs at both your incompetence and your cowardice.  Besides your lack of athletic success, though you live in the Gulf Coast hub of everyday partying (while we live in a remote outpost in the North Mississippi Hills) we annually outdo your book-learnin' asses in all things social and revelrous. 

There's some coals.  Stoke the flames.  Hate on, haters.

More photos » Rogelio V. Solis - AP

Despite the Most Unforgettable, Heart-breaking Loss in the History of Ole Miss Football (MUHLHOMF), Nathan Stanley looked mature, intelligent, and poised as a quarterback.

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Thanks For All Of That
I'm not going to pretend that I read everything everybody said over the past few days, because doing so would have been me doing myself a real disservice. Getting way from RCR and Rebel football in general, if even for a few days, in a way which I haven't in years was oddly therapeutic. I'm not back 100%, because my wearied soul still aches a bit and I still wonder why I put so very, very much into this team every single year, but y'all knew I wasn't down for the count. To those who offered kinder words, thanks. To those who didn't, thanks. It was good to see a "good fellow fan/bad fellow fan" approach to my musings. No, I haven't cancelled my travel plans to the Tulane and Vanderbilt games and, no, I haven't given any of my tickets back. I'll still be there; I'll be less enthused and more detached than usual, but I suspect that will be the case with many of us.

It just sucks knowing that there really is almost nothing, and certainly nothing coming close to sniffing the realm of probability, that can salvage this season. We're one week into a season - a season which was preceded with one of the most stressful and dramatic offseasons of recent memory - that is, for a lot of us, already ruined.

Jacksonville State Rallies to Beat Ole Miss in Overtime | USAToday
Obligatory mainstream media link regarding the game, is all. Nothing really to see here.

Ole Miss' Upset Boosts Gamecock Poll Rankings | Anniston Star
Jacksonville State is now a top-10 FCS team for, what is it again, the first time ever?! Shit, we can't even lose to a good FCS team...

This Week in Schadenfreude | SBNation
Guess whose pain brought the most pleasure to the college football blogosphere?! You guessed it! Mine! I do take some solace, however, in knowing that Brian Cook, the brilliant Michigan alumnus behind This Week In Schadenfreude, has been there before.

The Bronco Bashers' Blog: How to Get Coach Pete to Stay | ArbiterOnline
This is a pretty entertaining read. A Boise State fan looks at the hottest seats in the SEC (namely Les Miles', Mark Richt's, and, now, Houston Nutt's) and concludes that, were any of those coaching gigs to open up, Boise State's Chris Petersen would likely be first in line to take 'em. That is a sentiment with which, after seeing Boise defeat a very good Virginia Tech team in person last night, I am entirely in agreement. This, of course, presents the Broncos fan base with the "how do we keep our coach" dilemma. The answer is, if he's looking to become an SEC coach, Boise fans need to start acting like they cheer for an SEC program. How does one do that, exactly?

Buy a big black garbage bag and throw away the face paint, the body paint, the eye black strips, the wigs, the noise makers, the big hats and did I say the wigs? The SEC fans dresses up for football games like it is a formal event, not shirtless with an explanation mark painted on their chests.

That is, of course, amongst many other things.

And Check This Out

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