SEC Preview - 11.12.05

Florida at South Carolina - Is an upset out of the question here for Steve Spurrier against his old team? Yes, it is. Florida's defense was questionable last week against Vandy, but only late in the game after they had relaxed a little bit. That was clearly a mental lapse, and the Gators cannot afford to let it happen again. Florida's offense finally came to life last week, showing a glimpse of what everyone thought would be a weekly performance. If this continues, the Gamecocks don't have a chance. It's great that South Carolina has become bowl eligible, and the win against Tennessee was huge for the program. But let's be honest--Florida is playing much better than Tennessee right now. Florida's offense can find the endzone. Only heart may keep South Carolina in this one late. Florida 31 - South Carolina 17.

Arkansas at Mississippi - This is my type of football. One of the best defensive fronts in the SEC goes up against the best rushing attack in the SEC. Smash-mouth football at its best. What can I say, I'm an old-school kinda guy. Even after the close loss to South Carolina, I feel Arkansas is way better than its record. The Razorbacks outplayed the Gamecocks statistically, but couldn't find the endzone. Eventually they got burned for a long touchdown and couldn't get anything going quickly. Basically, it comes down to this: Arkansas will only run the ball. The Ole Miss defense will play well, but the Ole Miss offense will be impotent. Eventually, Arkansas will score points. That can't be said of Ole Miss. Arkansas 17 - Ole Miss 9.

Kentucky at Vanderbilt - Kentucky's offense showed life last week, scoring 27 points against a tough Auburn defense. Vanderbilt took Florida into overtime, and barring an extremely questionable penalty, was likely going for two at the end of regulation. Vandy needs this game to have a chance of becoming bowl-eligible. The final two games are against Georgia and Tennessee, with the Tennessee game being the far more likely chance to pick up six wins. Vandy QB Jay Cutler is a smart guy (he does go to Vandy), and he certainly understands that this is a must-win game. He will find a way for this Vandy team to win. Kentucky 17 - Vandy 31.

Memphis at Tennessee - The fourth-ranked rushing offense versus the fourth-ranked rushing defense. Can I ask for any more? This one should be great. Tennessee has a non-existant offense, but the secondary of Memphis is extremely questionable. If Tennessee can put up 21 against Notre Dame, they can probably do the same to Memphis. I think the athletic, SEC-tough defense of Tennessee can shut down Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams, at least as much as that's possible. He's not used to playing defenses quite this good. In the season opener, against Ole Miss' tough D-line, he only put up 85 yards. I would expect about the same performance against Tennessee. Memphis 1o - Tennessee 21

LSU at Alabama - No one wants Alabama to win more than me, but they are going to need some serious help. LSU's offense has been inconsistent all year, but they know that the road to Atlanta runs through Tuscaloosa this year. They've had this date circled for quite some time. If LSU can explode on Alabama's defense, they may get the same type of consideration that is flowing toward one-loss Miami. I don't expect it to happen, though. Alabama's defense is incredible. There seem to be few weak spots, if any. It's the offense that remains the question mark. Alabama needs QB Brodie Croyle to have a productive, though not neccessarily prolific day against the LSU defense. This will be hard, but after seeing Auburn RB Kenny Irons shred the LSU defense, I believe that Alabama RB Kenneth Darby may have similar success. This would take some pressure off Croyle. If ever there was a time for the Alabama offense to find its step, it needs to now. I think LSU is going to come out on top in a close game, but I'm picking Alabama to make myself feel better. Alabama 17 - LSU 13.

Auburn at Georgia - This is a huge game for both teams. If Georgia wins and Florida loses, Georgia clinches the East. If Auburn loses, it's effectively out of the race for the West, and next week's game against Alabama is for nothing but pride (which is plenty to play for in that rivalry). So on to the match-up. These teams are both very good. The defenses are both in the top ten nationally, and the offenses are one and two in the SEC. Both teams can move the ball but have had trouble finding the endzone. Auburn relies on its stable of running backs: Kenny Irons, Brad Lester, Tre Smith, and Tristan Davis. Georgia (as evidenced by the Florida game), relies on senior QB D.J. Shockley, who will be back in action this week, after UGa used its bye-week to get healthy. This game will be decided by the number of mistakes Auburn QB Brandon Cox makes. He has progressed steadily all year, but he is prone to mistakes when pressure gets to him. If Kenny Irons and Brad Lester can get the running game going and the pressure off Cox, then the heat will be on D.J. Shockely and Georgia RBs Thomas Brown and Danny Ware to keep pace. This should be a great game, but I believe Auburn's offense is just slightly better than Georgia's, even with Shockely. Auburn 24 - Georgia 21.