Kenneth Harrison
Florida Gators Preview
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are entering Jim McElwain’s third year as the head coach in Gainesville. The Gators won the SEC East the last two years.
Georgia Tech Preview
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
You never really know what to expect with Georgia Tech. When you have high expectations they seem to disappoint. Conversely, when you have low expectations for the Yellow Jackets they exceed them.
Perfect example, they were 11-3 in 2014 and finished the year ranked in the top 10 in the AP and Coaches polls. They followed that up by going 3-9 in 2015 with only one conference win. Of course, that lone ACC win was against No. 9 Florida State. Last year they bounced back and went 9-4.
So, are we in for another down year for the Ramblin Wreck? They lost 5th year senior quarterback Justin Thomas. Junior QB Matthew Jordan is probably going to replace Thomas. He started last year on the road against Virginia Tech and led the Jackets to a win. He only completed 2 of 7 passing attempts but he rushed for 127 yards against the Hokies. Fellow junior TaQuon Marshall also has a chance to start at quarterback.
Fullback Dedrick Mills is back after leading Tech in rushing as a freshman, and the top three slotbacks and both starting receivers are back.
Mills and Clinton Lynch were voted the ACC’s second best running back duo by a few publications. Mills was named to All-ACC Preseason Football Team after rushing for 771 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2016. Lynch rushed for 415 yards and two touchdowns last season and had 16 receptions for 490 yards and six touchdowns.
The offensive line has all sorts of experienced pieces returning after a disastrous 2016. Nine players started at least one game, and no one started all 13. The result: three “starters” are gone, and six “starters” return. One of them is the mountain of a man, 380-pound guard Shamire Devine.
The entire secondary returns from last season. This will be one of the most experienced defenses Paul Johnson has had in a while. The entire lineup should consist of juniors and seniors.
The season begins September 4th at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Tennessee. The Vols are also going to have a new starter at QB since Joshua Dobbs has graduated. Tech normally starts the season against an FCS opponent so this is a big game to start the year. I think Tennessee wins.
The next two games should be easy wins. September 9th is at home against FCS Jacksonville State and September 16th is at Central Florida. UCF was 6-7 last year so I don’t expect them to put up much of a fight.
Conference play begins September 23rd at home versus Pitt. I think this game is a “W”.
The following week is also at home against North Carolina. The Tar Heels lost QB Mitchell Trubisky, who was the second overall pick in the 2017 draft. I expect that to slow down their high scoring offense and the Jackets should win.
After a bye week, they go on the road at Miami. Johnson has not had much success against the Hurricanes. I think this will be a loss.
Next is Wake Forest at home. This will be a blow out win. Oct. 28th is in Death Valley against Clemson. I’m picking the Tigers.
The next three games are at Virginia, Virginia Tech and at Duke. The only loss in that trio is to Va Tech.
The season finale is the in-state rivalry game against Georgia in Atlanta. I believe UGA will be much better this year and I’m picking the Bulldogs.
I expect Ga Tech to be 7-5 which means they will play in a bowl game in 2017.
Buford Preview
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Buford High School has been a football powerhouse sicen the 2000’s. The Wolves have won a total of 11 state championships. Ten of those are from 2001 to 2014.
They have won over several different classifications starting in A in 2001 and ending in AAAA in 2014. Buford is a fairly small school with an enrollment of 1,150 students. Now they are in AAAAA.
Greatest Falcons Of All-Time
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I’m from Atlanta so of course I’m a Falcons fan. The franchise has had some pretty consistent success over the past decade being a perennial playoff team.
They aren’t as prestigious as San Francisco, Dallas or Pittsburgh but they have had some great talent. Who are the best Falcons of all time?
All Time Warriors
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The 2016-17 NBA season is officially over. Golden State defeated Cleveland 129-120 in Game 5 to win their second championship in three years. Kevin Durant won his first ring and was named Finals MVP.
This makes me wonder, how does this Golden State team stack up against all-time great teams? I think they might be one of the best ever.
Falcons Offseason
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The 2016 season ended in heart break for the Atlanta Falcons. I don’t need to go into it, we all know what happened. On the bright side, I think they were a year ahead of schedule based on the results.
Now the question is can they at least get back to the Super Bowl in 2017? The last team that lost the Super Bowl and reached it the following year was the 1992 Buffalo Bills. I’m saying that to just put it out there that it’s going to be a difficult journey.
LeBron Bad For NBA
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The NBA season is winding down. While Boston and Washington battled through a game 7 for the right to get to the Eastern Conference Finals, Cleveland had their feet kicked up waiting to see who wins. So, I have to wonder, is LeBron James bad for the NBA?
Tennessee Titans Draft Grade
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The post draft NFL power rankings have been released this week. The Tennessee Titans are ranked 12th which would make them a playoff team. Let’s take a look at the new Titans.
Falcons Draft Grade
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The Atlanta Falcons exceeded expectations in Dan Quinn’s second year as head coach.
They finished with an 11-6 record, 2nd seed in the NFC and advanced to Super Bowl LI. As you all know they blew a 28-3 3rd quarter lead and lost to New England in overtime.
AFC South Draft Preview
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The AFC South has been one of the weaker divisions in the NFL over the last few years. The Indianapolis Colts have dominated since its inception but recently the Houston Texans have taken over. Let’s check the first round draft picks and see if anyone can change that.