Guest Blogger - "

Time again for our guest blogger segment. Here is a Q&A with Mississippi State blogger Jeremy Flint who runs the "Mississippi State Sports Blog". Jeremy and I tie in the race for creative college blog names. So here are Jeremy's answers to 4 of my questions.

1. Georgia Tech fans may not know a lot about your program. We've faced some strong defenses the last two weeks with Boston College and Virginia Tech, but holding Auburn to 3 points is impressive. Is your D that good, or is Auburn's offense just too new to be effective? What is the strongest part of the D?

Through the first 3 games, our defense is ranked 20th overall in the NCAA, higher than Boston College and Virginia Tech. Our tackles are both playing very well right now. Jesse Bowman was named Defensive Lineman of the Week by the SEC after the Auburn game. Our safeties are also a key feature, especially FS Derek Pegues.

Our one weakness on defense at the moment may be at the middle linebacker position. Our starting senior MLB, Jamar Chaney, went down in the first game with a broken leg/ankle, and will miss the rest of the season. He was lead the teams in tackles last year.

2. On the surface, your offense seems to be struggling. Can you describe the "system" that Miss St runs? How would you gameplan against your offense if you were a defensive coordinator?

It is supposedly a West Coast style offense. If you can cover our receivers, force our QB out of the pocket, and block the running lanes, you have pretty much got our offense beat.

The offense is probably the most frustrating part of the team for most of our fans. Our strong point is running the ball. It always has been. We have great running backs in Anthony Dixon and Christian Ducre, as well as freshman Robert Elliot. If our offensive line is having problems opening the running lanes, or we get behind in a game, we seem to abandon the run without hesitation.

3. Who are the key players that Tech fans need to worry the most about on offense and/or defense?

On defense, Derek Pegues is just all over the field. It is not uncommon for him to make a tackle at the line from his free safety position. Keith Fitzhugh is great in the strong safety slot as well.

On offense, our 2 best players are probably Anthony Dixon and Christian Ducre. Dixon is a power runner who will line up and just run over you. Ducre has more finesse to his running style, but isn't afraid to hit you either.

4. What is the general mood of Mississippi State fans in terms of where the program is headed under S.Croom?

I think the honeymoon is just about over. A majority of the fans knew the kind of shape the program was in after Jackie Sherrill retired, and were willing to give Croom plenty of time to rebuild it properly. He looked to be on track to do that last year. Most fans would probably like to see a change at offensive coordinator. It is also unclear how much of the play calling is coming straight from the OC and how much of it is being changed by Croom on the sideline.

Guest Blogger Week 3 - "Gobbler Country"

Time again for an enemy blogger Q&A again, so we turn to Virginia Tech blogger "Gobbler Country" for some insight into this year's edition of the Hokies:

You have a QB controversy. Tell us about which QB you think will make you most successful on offense and why. How much of the offensive issues are at QB?

Like most fans, I believe Tyrod Taylor gives this offense the best chance to be successful. However, unlike most fans, my reasoning has nothing to do with the way Sean Glennon has performed. Taylor is a more mobile quarterback and a better playmaker, which is something this offense lacks. There are no returning starters at wide receiver, running back or fullback. The starting tight end from last year currently sits No. 3 on the depth chart because he is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last year against Georgia Tech.

There is simply no one on offense right now who can make plays better than Taylor, so having him on the bench isn't a good idea to begin with. The clincher is that the offensive line isn't as improved as we hoped and suffered a big loss in tackle Blake DeChristopher on the opening drive of the season. Glennon doesn't have the mobility to compensate for the struggles on offensive line right now and Taylor does.

The issues on offense have nothing to do with the quarterback. Glennon isn't a terrible quarterback, but hasn't improved like someone who was coming into his third year as a starter should have. The problem with the offense lies with the offensive line and the offensive coordinator. The play-calling has been questionable this season and the offensive line has been very inconsistant.


Is Virginia Tech's defense just as strong as in years past?

It's not, because the depth just isn't there. In the past, the Hokies could run four or five defensive ends or linebackers in the same game and the level of play wouldn't go down much. This year there is very little margin for error. You lose a key player, like Macho Harris, and everything goes to hell. The Hokies currently have their only returning starter at linebacker (Cam Martin) and top pass-rushing defensive end (Jason Worilds) on the mend for the game against Georgia Tech. Last year and the year before, this wouldn't have worried me a lot. This year it does because the guys replacing them just don't compare to them.

If you were developing a gameplan to beat Virginia Tech, how would you do it?

It pains me to say this, but I would run it up the gut until the Hokies could prove they could stop it. Tech's defensive tackles haven't done a very good job through two games and got absolutely worked by the ECU offensive line.

I would also test Macho Harris early to see if his ankle is at 100 percent. He hurt it in the last scrimmage of the season and missed the ECU game. He is critical to run defense because he plays boundary corner, meaning he lines up on the short side of the field every play. Because of this, he has more responsibilities for stopping run plays to that side of the field. There's so much open space on the other side that the field corner needs more help, therefore the best run-stopping cornerback VT has will play boundary corner because he can be left more on an island in running situations.

On defense, I would stack the box and make Tyrod Taylor prove he can beat you with his arm. He did it against Clemson and Florida State last year, but he had much better targets to throw to then.

What is the confidence level of VT fans right now, heading into the ACC conference slate?

Morale is not very high right now. Most fans (if not all) want the offensive coordinator fired. The defense made uncharacteristic mistakes against ECU. We were up only 3-0 at halftime against Furman. The current mood is probably a mild panic. A loss to Georgia Tech would send the fanbase in to full fledged torch-and-pitchfork mode.


GUEST BLOGGER WEEK 2 - "EAGLE IN ATLANTA"

Guest Blogger - "Eagle in Atlanta"

Boston College blogger "Eagle in Atlanta" invited me to a Q&A session prior to this Saturday's game. I answered his questions and they are posted on his blog here. In return, here are his answers to four questions about the BC Eagles:

1. What can we expect from Boston College on offense? What does the post-Matt Ryan offense look like?

We are still trying to find out. If Kent State is any indication, the offense will look very different. First the focus is in the run game. BC only threw the ball 18 times last Saturday. Instead what you saw were a variety of runs. Toss sweeps, zone stretches, draws, dives, QB options. Even if he throws more this week, Chris Crane is unlikely to duplicate Matt Ryan's fireworks from the Flats last year. Crane is not as sharp nor as accurate. He also seems more comfortable throwing on the move instead of staying in the pocket. The biggest concern for GT should be the offensive line. It is much improved and gave Crane and the running backs all the time they needed.


2. Is BC's defense as strong as last year? We know the D-Line is the heart-and-soul of the D (just like GT), but what about the rest of the defense?

The defense has the chance to be better. The defensive line is clearly improved. The linebackers are probably as good. The secondary is still somewhat of a question mark. They have athleticism and speed, but are untested and young. Will these young guys prove to be as smart as Jamie Silva and Dejuan Tribble. Who knows? As for stopping the Yellow Jackets, the defensive backs looked good in run support in week one. That success will hopefully carry over to the GT game.

3. If you were an opposing coach, what strategy would you use to beat BC?

Load eight in the box and dare Chris Crane to throw it. Even if he makes improvements from Kent State, he's still likely to make a mistake or two. On the offensive side of the ball, I'd also try to air it out. Kent State kept it on the ground for the most part and got shutout.


4. What is your prediction for Saturday?

Although both teams are very different from 2007, I think BC's transition was a less dramatic shakeup. It's early in the season, but I think BC's defense will disrupt Johnson's new scheme and the BC offensive line will control the game enough for BC to win and cover the spread.