re: Biggest surprise of the SEC football season so far..

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Monticello

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That's a good synopsis.

Re: Houston Nutt ...He has always been a surprise waiting to happen. It really didn't surprise me that Ole Miss lost. That kind of thing can happen to any team on occasion. It was the way that they lost that surprised me.

It was the WAY Arkansas was so successful in '98, going 8-0 in dominating fashion, yet the way they lost the 9th game to Tennessee, and the way they lost their last 3 of 4 games. Luckily, LSU was down that year, or it would have ended 0-4. I could go on and on.

To me, it's even less of a surprise when his teams excel. It's in the losses that he's always been able to sell a reason besides his often lackadaisical coaching, and then spin it all in an effort to make the season appear as if he alone is the reason for the "surprising" wins.

Hootie has plenty of talent at Ole Miss. He has had better recruiting classes than when he was at Arkansas. One thing he consistently does do poorly is manage a teams' strengths and keep all areas in balance.

It's not that he can't consistently prepare and coach well, it's just that many times he just doesn't. Plus, for one to really become aware, one has to know that he tends to accomplish what he accomplishes in streaks.

It's not what Hootie does with teams that surprises the fans ...it's more the WAY he does what he does with what he has. ...and more so in regard to losses than wins.