We almost had a perfect record last week for predicting outcomes however we ended the weekend picking six of seven games right and proud of it. We were on the numbers with Florida taking out Georgia, South Carolina sticking Tennessee and Ole Miss out scoring Auburn. Let us take a look at this week in the SEC:
SEC Game of the Week
Alabama (5-0) vs LSU (3-2) in Baton Rouge. This game is now known as the Saban Bowl. Coach Nick Saban had a 75% winning record and a national championship during his reign at LSU. Now Saban is coaching the Alabama Crimson Tide and a few cajuns are threatened by their SEC West rival.
LSU has dominated this series for a while (7 of the last 8) and Bama fans are ready for their turn. Tiger Stadium will have 92,400 screaming fans for at least the opening kick-off. After Bama scores, they may be angry. Playing on the road has seemed to inspire the Tide as they rolled over good teams in Clemson, Georgia and Tennessee in hostile environments.
We see LSU freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee as having a rough day with the Bama pressure from all sides. Bama defensive tackle Terrance Cody returns which will make it hard to get much play up the middle for the Tigers. Alabama will methodically drive the ball down the field and score throughout the day. We like the Tide in this game 28-17.
SEC East Game 1
Florida (5-1) vs Vandy (3-2) in Nashville. Vandy has had two weeks to prepare for this game and they needed it after a close loss to Duke. Florida may have a small let down after rolling over Georgia last weekend but we believe the Gators have plenty of fire power to get the job done. Vandy started out the games strong with five wins. But then folded against Miss State followed by losses to Georgia and Duke. Vandy has been struggling offensively with their passing game which means it should be a long day for the Vandy defense. Vandy is still trying to get bowl eligible. Florida has a balanced attack and has so many options offensively that they are hard to stop. The Gators need this win to lock down a spot in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. We like the Gators in this one 35-13.
SEC East Game 2
Georgia (4-2) vs Kentucky (2-3) in Lexington. The Bulldogs need redemption, the Cats need some healthy players. The biggest Georgia-Florida game ever became the beat down of the season. Georgia was humiliated on their home field. Kentucky has been hit with a rash of injuries that makes them very vulnerable. Kentucky has a strong defense but is too inexperienced on offense to win this game.
Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford needs a big passing game to raise his stock for the NFL draft if he decideds to go that way at the end of the season. Georgia also needs a big win to get a better BCS ranking so we believe they will bring their game. We like the Dawgs 35-14.
SEC East West Rivalry
Arkansas (1-4) vs South Carolina (3-3) in Columbia. The South Carolina defense completely folded against Arkansas last year giving up 650 yards. This year, Gamecock defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson is bringing a physical, talented defensive team that gets the credit for all this seasons victories. Arkansas running back Michael Smith is the leading rusher in the SEC this season and will get his share of carries on Saturday.
Arkansas has dominated this series winning 5 of the last 7. South Carolina has struggled on offense all season with inconsistent play from the line and quarterbacks. We believe Spurrier will split quarterback time between sophomore Chris Smelley and freshman Stephen Garcia so he can have a full game. We will be at this game and watching this game closely. This game is the closest to being an upset of this weeks line-up. However, we like the Gamecocks 21-14.
SEC East vs Cream Puff
Wyoming vs Tennessee (1-5) in Knoxville. Coach Phillip Fulmer was pushed out of his coaching position on Monday so it has been a tough week in Rocky Top. The Vols are at the bottom of the SEC East and in a state of confusion. The players are angry at the administration and Coach Fulmer is too. The assistants are probably concerned about future employment so it does not bode well for being focused. This is a great week to play a cream puff team like Wyoming. We like the Vols 28-7.
SEC West vs Cream Puff
Tennesee-Martin at Auburn (2-4) in Auburn. The Auburn Tigers have lost their last four games and their head coach is on the hot seat. Coach Tuberville has stated he is not concerned about losing his job. Tuberville needs a game to get his players some confidence as they go into the final stretch against Georgia and Alabama. Based on other firings in the South, we believe Tuberville is searching for his next coaching job and a respectful exit strategy. We like the Tigers 24-7.
Jay Holgate is a sports analyst and can be heard on sports radio around the South.
