The Wiz of Odds

Game(s) of the Weak

Mike Hlas is an award-winning columnist with the Cedar Rapids Gazette and force behind The Hlog. Each week, he will break down the worst matchups in college football. Considering the increasing number of uncompetitive and uninteresting games, Mike's task is harder than getting Levi Johnston, Jon and Kate Gosselin, and anyone named Kardashian to just go away.

Here's how it is done in most major football conferences:

You play your nonconference games against designated victims in September, then you play your conference games after that. It's only logical. You wouldn't open a rock festival with U2, then bring out a bar band three-fourths of the way through the event.

The Southeastern Conference does things a little differently. Sure, the league has the marquee game of the week in Louisiana State at Alabama. But look at what else the conference is trotting out on the 10th Saturday of the season:

Tennessee Tech at Georgia
Furman at Auburn
Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky
Northern Arizona at Mississippi

That's right. Four — count 'em, four — games between SEC teams and Division I-AA teams. In November. That's just wrong. So each gets one quarter of this week’s Game of the Weak.

Georgia Cheap Shot

Georgia linebacker Nick Williams delivers an intentional late hit on Florida's Tim Tebow long after the quarterback handed off to running back Jeff Demps. Totally uncalled for.

Florida Cheap Shot

Watch Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes go for the eye gouge on Georgia running back Washaun Ealey. Thanks to Adam.

The evidence is damning on this one, and Spikes should be suspended. It will be interesting to see how Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive handles this one. Perhaps the league office will take the lead of its officiating crews and just look the other way.

Update: The high-definition version of the play is below. Thanks to Stan!

A Season to Forget in Georgia

Thanks to Get The Picture, we now have evidence how the locals are responding to the Bulldogs' 3-3 start.

We're Here to Protect (and Cheer Against) You, Coach

Two Georgia state troopers assigned to South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier do a victorious fist bump after the Gamecocks' Stephen Garcia has his final pass tipped away by Rennie Curran, securing a 41-37 victory for the Bulldogs. Thanks to Get The Picture.

Richt Victim of Photoshop Job?

Today's challenge for all you Internet sleuths: Did Mark Richt give the one-finger salute to Urban Meyer in the closing minute of Saturday's Georgia-Florida game.

Meyer called two timeouts in the final minute with his team leading by 39 points. "It seemed like you might have been trying to rub it in there," one reporter said. "No," Meyer replied. "Just trying to win the game."

This would be out of character for Richt and we have yet to see the video. The images first appeared on Ode to the Gators and the Big Lead is questioning if they are real. Anybody have the video?