Cocktail Thursday: Western Kentucky Edition

Ah yes, the time is near. The list is in place. Soon the car will be packed. The one question left? While you're feasting upon the flesh of the enemy (ht: Kyle King), what will you wash it down with? A few thoughts to bear in mind while choosing your Western Kentucky beverage:

Tereshinski, Cox and possibly a third quarterback will get chances to put it in the air and show what they can do. However, this strategy entails one of two possible outcomes. Either, a) things will go well, and we will put a lot of points on the board early, then shift to the run game to finish it out, or b) things will go poorly early, we won't be hitting on all cylinders and CMR will shift to the run game so that we can avoid an uncomfortably close game with a I-AA opponent. Either way, I think we'll run the ball a good bit in this game, and I think that's important because we're going to have to do a lot of that later.

The running game this year will be by committee. No doubt about that. But Coach Richt has said all spring and summer that Thomas Brown has begun to distance himself from Lumpkin and Ware. The thing to look for from Thomas Brown against WKU: will he break a big one? I think the answer is yes. WKU does not have the speed at the second level (linebacker/corner) to stop TB if he breaks loose. At least twice on Saturday, you will witness a Hilltopper safety in the uncomfortable position of having to tackle Thomas Brown one-on-one in the open field. My unscientific prediction is that Brown will have at least 2 rushes of 20-plus yards, and that at least one will go for a score. When that happens, you should crack open an Abita Turbodog. It's one of the finest dark beers around, and a personal favorite of mine since the first time I tried it on a trip to New Orleans (it's brewed by the Abita Brewing Company in Abita Springs, Louisiana). Ten years ago it was hard to find east of the Mississippi, but now you can get Turbodog from most places with a decent beer selection. It's sweet, but not too sweet. Dark, but not so dark you feel like you've eaten a bowl of fermented oatmeal. So drink up. And if you see Michael Adams, offer him a cocktail for me.

South Carolina defenders sample some Turbodog. The crappy thing, as these guys will attest, is that by the time you make it to the party, the Turbodog is usually already gone. Except in Columbia, where the Natural Light flows like water. Warm, putrid, historically mediocre water.

"Hi, my name is Michael Adams. If you don't want a little paper umbrella in your drink, then you don't want in on my tailgate. It's that simple. "