1 vs 3

The U.S. Women's Soccer Team is playing Sweden right now, pitting #1 vs #3. No, I don't mean their FIFA rankings (Sweden is #4, I believe). As you ought to know, Abby Wambach is #1 on the Scotty Williams Big Board. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is #3 (or Kronprinsessan, for you Swedes out there). The higher ranking and American citizenship give Abby a huge advantage.

She's used that advantage to score two goals so far. The first was on a penalty kick, the second on a nice play where she settled a beautiful pass from Kristine Lilly off her chest and nailed it into the left side of the net. That's 80 goals in 98 international games for her.

I haven't talked about LSU football in a while, so let's see how they're doing...

...oh my.

They appear to be doing quite well. Opponents have been outscored 93-7. They rolled up almost 600 yards of offense against Virginia Tech and forced seven turnovers against Mississippi State. Let's go over the players drafted in the first round that they had to replace:

JaMarcus Russell, QB: Matt Flynn has done very well. He hasn't turned the ball over at all, been fairly accurate on his passes, and run well when asked. Ryan Perrilloux has looked pretty good when given the chance to play. Gary Crowton's offense suits his talents well.

LaRon Landry, FS: I believe that Curtis Taylor is officially his replacement, and he's played well, though I can't say he's been challenged or picked on to any real extent. He looks like a good athlete, and he's got a sack and an interception through two games. Craig Steltz has assumed the leadership role in the secondary, and done very well. Four INTs so far for Steltz.

Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis, WR: Early Doucet has done a good job being the #1 guy and drawing attention from the defense. The question was who would play opposite of him, and Branden LaFell came out with a huge game against Virginia Tech. Terrance Toliver had a good catch to extend a drive in the first game and a nice TD catch in the second. He looks like he's got a bright future in front of him.

The defense has played very well, as expected. Eight starters are back from last year's defense, which was third in yards allowed. Every starter is either a junior or senior. They're strong, fast, disciplined, smart, deep, and a bunch of other things. Dominance was predicted and they have delivered.

The biggest surprise of the first two games has been the offensive performance against VT. The offensive line looked outmatched against Mississippi State, and the offense as a whole didn't click early on until late. There was no struggle against Virginia Tech. The backs had holes to run through and Flynn had time to find his receivers. Jacob Hester is playing better than he ever has. Keiland Williams is on the verge of becoming known across the country as a playmaker. His "leap over a blocker, break a tackle, cut across the field and outrace the secondary" for a 67-yard touchdown was a thing of beauty. Charles Scott has shown a bit of shiftiness and versatility that surprises me a little. He caught a pass for a touchdown against MSU and a third-down pass for a first down against VT. He's more than just a bruiser. Those are the top three, but Trindon Holliday and Richard Murphy have done well when given the chance.

So far the Tigers look like a complete team that is going to be tough to beat and is a favorite in the SEC West and SEC overall. I'll hold off on anything BCS-wise until after Florida.