SEC PREVIEW WEEK 11:
Preview and predictions for Nov. 12
November 9, 2005
By Jess Nicholas
Last week’s record: 5-1 (83.3%)
Season record: 52-15 (77.6%)
The Predictions Dept. had a decent week last week, and fortunately for South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier and his team’s postseason hopes, the Dept. overestimated the Arkansas rushing game and the Razorbacks’ home-field advantage. This week’s slate of games is headlines by Alabama-LSU and Auburn-Georgia, but three other teams – Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Tennessee – are playing to keep bowl hopes alive.
FLORIDA at SOUTH CAROLINA
If you want to have some fun this week, sign up on a Florida message board and ask the question, “So, what do you guys think about Steve Spurrier?”. After the board administrators ban your account, sit back and watch this game, which has enough politics running around it to make CSPAN bid for the broadcast rights. South Carolina is now bowl-eligible, and this game is in Columbia. Spurrier is coaching against his alma mater for the first time. Florida needs this win to stay in the hunt for the SEC East crown. The Gator offense is just now starting to function properly. It makes for an interesting matchup, but unless South Carolina can continue to channel Alabama or LSU with its defense, it’s likely to be a close game for a half and then a Florida pull-away in the second half. Playing for the SEC East title is too much of a motivating factor for Spurrier to overcome.
Florida 31
South Carolina 21
LOUISIANA STATE at ALABAMA
See our extended preview!
AUBURN at GEORGIA
If D.J. Shockley were 100 percent for this game, Georgia would be the easy pick here and would probably win this game in typical Mark Richt fashion – late, by a close score. Instead, Georgia will play either with a badly limping Shockley under center, or Joe Tereshinski. Tereshinski is a major feel-good story, but his play against Florida was not what the Bulldogs needed in order to advance to the SEC Championship Game. The stakes are clear: Lose this game, and Georgia will have to pull for South Carolina to upset Florida in order to make the trip down the road to the Georgia Dome. Beat Auburn, and the Bulldogs clinch. Unfortunately, Georgia is catching Auburn just as the Tigers are discovering a balanced offense.
Auburn 27
Georgia 20
KENTUCKY at VANDERBILT
We’re not sure of when exactly the last time this game had bowl implications attached. Vanderbilt is 4-5, and with a win here and an upset of Tennessee next week, the Commodores will probably spend Christmas in Shreveport. It’s not a bad gig, especially for a team that hasn’t been to a bowl game since Lee Iococca was hawking K-cars for the Chrysler Corp. Unfortunately for Vanderbilt, the ’Dores may have lost top receiver Erik Davis to a knee injury against Florida. That makes Vanderbilt’s task difficult, even against Kentucky. The Wildcats are starting to get healthy and play inspired football, but the loss to Auburn last week put Kentucky out of bowl contention and there is a chance the Wildcats may quit on the season. Look for Vanderbilt to keep the dream alive, at least for one more week.
Vanderbilt 31
Kentucky 27
MEMPHIS at TENNESSEE
Memphis head coach Tommy West is rumored to be among those under consideration for the Tennessee head coaching job should Phillip Fulmer get fired after the season. West would go a long way to helping his candidacy by beating Tennessee this week, as a Volunteer loss would end Tennessee’s bowl hopes. But Memphis is a hurting team, with no quarterback and very little defense. If Tennessee plays basic football, the Vols should win. But basic football has been Tennessee’s soft spot all year long, and it will be interesting to see whether Fulmer can rally his troops after their 41-21 shellacking against Notre Dame last week. If Tennessee wins here and Vanderbilt beats Kentucky, it sets up a Tennessee-Vandy showdown for bowl eligibility next week. Someone check the color of the moon and make sure it’s not blood red.
Tennessee 23
Memphis 10
ARKANSAS at MISSISSIPPI
Ole Miss is clinging to bowl hopes by a thin thread. The Rebels are likely to win this game – Arkansas is winless in conference play and can’t pick a starting quarterback – but LSU is up for Ole Miss in the future and bowl talk likely ends there. Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt is trying to outrun the lynch mob calling for his head, and a loss to Ed Orgeron’s Rebels won’t do him a bit of good. Unless Arkansas can establish the passing game early, though, a decent Ole Miss defense can stack up against the run and keep Arkansas bottled up. The key for Ole Miss is to stay ahead, as the Rebel offense isn’t built for catch-up football.
Ole Miss 20
Arkansas 17
IDLE: Mississippi State
Preview and predictions for Nov. 12
November 9, 2005
By Jess Nicholas
Last week’s record: 5-1 (83.3%)
Season record: 52-15 (77.6%)
The Predictions Dept. had a decent week last week, and fortunately for South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier and his team’s postseason hopes, the Dept. overestimated the Arkansas rushing game and the Razorbacks’ home-field advantage. This week’s slate of games is headlines by Alabama-LSU and Auburn-Georgia, but three other teams – Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Tennessee – are playing to keep bowl hopes alive.
FLORIDA at SOUTH CAROLINA
If you want to have some fun this week, sign up on a Florida message board and ask the question, “So, what do you guys think about Steve Spurrier?”. After the board administrators ban your account, sit back and watch this game, which has enough politics running around it to make CSPAN bid for the broadcast rights. South Carolina is now bowl-eligible, and this game is in Columbia. Spurrier is coaching against his alma mater for the first time. Florida needs this win to stay in the hunt for the SEC East crown. The Gator offense is just now starting to function properly. It makes for an interesting matchup, but unless South Carolina can continue to channel Alabama or LSU with its defense, it’s likely to be a close game for a half and then a Florida pull-away in the second half. Playing for the SEC East title is too much of a motivating factor for Spurrier to overcome.
Florida 31
South Carolina 21
LOUISIANA STATE at ALABAMA
See our extended preview!
AUBURN at GEORGIA
If D.J. Shockley were 100 percent for this game, Georgia would be the easy pick here and would probably win this game in typical Mark Richt fashion – late, by a close score. Instead, Georgia will play either with a badly limping Shockley under center, or Joe Tereshinski. Tereshinski is a major feel-good story, but his play against Florida was not what the Bulldogs needed in order to advance to the SEC Championship Game. The stakes are clear: Lose this game, and Georgia will have to pull for South Carolina to upset Florida in order to make the trip down the road to the Georgia Dome. Beat Auburn, and the Bulldogs clinch. Unfortunately, Georgia is catching Auburn just as the Tigers are discovering a balanced offense.
Auburn 27
Georgia 20
KENTUCKY at VANDERBILT
We’re not sure of when exactly the last time this game had bowl implications attached. Vanderbilt is 4-5, and with a win here and an upset of Tennessee next week, the Commodores will probably spend Christmas in Shreveport. It’s not a bad gig, especially for a team that hasn’t been to a bowl game since Lee Iococca was hawking K-cars for the Chrysler Corp. Unfortunately for Vanderbilt, the ’Dores may have lost top receiver Erik Davis to a knee injury against Florida. That makes Vanderbilt’s task difficult, even against Kentucky. The Wildcats are starting to get healthy and play inspired football, but the loss to Auburn last week put Kentucky out of bowl contention and there is a chance the Wildcats may quit on the season. Look for Vanderbilt to keep the dream alive, at least for one more week.
Vanderbilt 31
Kentucky 27
MEMPHIS at TENNESSEE
Memphis head coach Tommy West is rumored to be among those under consideration for the Tennessee head coaching job should Phillip Fulmer get fired after the season. West would go a long way to helping his candidacy by beating Tennessee this week, as a Volunteer loss would end Tennessee’s bowl hopes. But Memphis is a hurting team, with no quarterback and very little defense. If Tennessee plays basic football, the Vols should win. But basic football has been Tennessee’s soft spot all year long, and it will be interesting to see whether Fulmer can rally his troops after their 41-21 shellacking against Notre Dame last week. If Tennessee wins here and Vanderbilt beats Kentucky, it sets up a Tennessee-Vandy showdown for bowl eligibility next week. Someone check the color of the moon and make sure it’s not blood red.
Tennessee 23
Memphis 10
ARKANSAS at MISSISSIPPI
Ole Miss is clinging to bowl hopes by a thin thread. The Rebels are likely to win this game – Arkansas is winless in conference play and can’t pick a starting quarterback – but LSU is up for Ole Miss in the future and bowl talk likely ends there. Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt is trying to outrun the lynch mob calling for his head, and a loss to Ed Orgeron’s Rebels won’t do him a bit of good. Unless Arkansas can establish the passing game early, though, a decent Ole Miss defense can stack up against the run and keep Arkansas bottled up. The key for Ole Miss is to stay ahead, as the Rebel offense isn’t built for catch-up football.
Ole Miss 20
Arkansas 17
IDLE: Mississippi State
