Last week, the Southeastern Conference was full of interesting matchups. Of course, the headliner was a matchup of top 10 teams, but there were several other games on the SEC slate that were full of intrigue. Not quite so this week. Outside of another matchup of top 10 teams, top ranked Alabama and number seven Florida, the SEC is littered with bland non-conference matchups or cross-divisional games involving at least one team that doesn’t factor into the conference race.
Once again, the Crimson Tide is in the SEC headliner as they take on Florida. With national championship implications for both teams, this is the national game of the week. Auburn and Mississippi State should encounter only token resistance against Louisiana-Monroe and Alcorn State respectively. Vanderbilt travels to Connecticut in what might be the next most intriguing matchup for SEC squads this week. How is that for a sad state of affairs?
University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks AT (10) Auburn Tigers
The Warhawks are one of the worst teams in FBS division of college football. They lost by two touchdowns to Arkansas State and nearly suffered a home defeat to FCS member Southeastern Louisiana. Meanwhile for Auburn, Cam Newton has been as good as advertised and leads the Auburn Tigers. Newton is currently on pace to throw for 2,000 yards and to pile up an additional 1,000 yards rushing. Auburn has shown some susceptibility on defense. They have been gashed in the running game and beaten with the pass at different points during the year. The lack of defense will likely cost the Tigers a game or three down the road, but not here. ULM ranks 112th in points scored.
10-42, Tigers
Vanderbilt Commodores AT Connecticut Huskies
Two weeks ago Vanderbilt beat up on Ole Miss, and walked out of Oxford with a big SEC road win. Vanderbilt looked surprisingly good on defense, and their ability to run the ball was impressive. The Commodores have had two weeks to prepare for this game, so they should be ready physically and strategically. For UConn, the season has been a disappointment. The loss to Michigan does not look as bad now as it did after the opening week, but losing to Temple by two touchdowns still stings a little. UConn should get a motivational boost by starting Cody Endres at quarterback, replacing Zach Frazer. Endres rejuvenated the Husky offense against Buffalo last week, leading them to an eventual blowout victory. Despite the good play of Vanderbilt two weeks ago and the extra week of prep, it is hard to imagine Vanderbilt traveling to UConn and beating a team that many had predicted to win the Big East before the season started.
20-24, Huskies
Alcorn State Braves AT Mississippi State Bulldogs
Alcorn State is just talented enough to keep this game interesting. The Braves are loaded with ball hawks and have forced 13 t** **urnovers in three games. And the Bulldogs aren’t immune to turning the ball over. They had five turnovers against LSU. In the end, the Braves offensive strength is running the football, and that plays right into the hands of Mississippi State. After beating Georgia, Mississippi State’s confidence must be high, and this is not week one or week two when FBS teams are most susceptible to losses to an FCS squad. Alcorn probably keeps this one close for a half, but the talent and adjustments at the break see Mississippi State pulling away in the third and fourth quarters.
17-38, Bulldogs
Kentucky Wildcats AT Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss showed signs of life last week against a formidable Fresno State team. The Rebels have found a bit of** o **ffense. ** T hey score plenty, averaging 36 points per game. Their defense, which was thought to be their strength entering the year, is giving up more than 30. Kentucky‘s offense is extremely dangerous. Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb are a terrifying one-two punch for defenses that are struggling. The Kentucky defense has woes of their own, mostly the inability to stop the run. That is a weakness that could be an Achilles heel against Ole Miss. Houston Nutt has his back against the wall. Rah-rah and home field advantage will probably be enough to win a high-scoring affair for the Rebels. **
31-35, Rebels
Tennessee Volunteers AT (12) LSU Tigers - Upset Alert -
Where the Wildcats and Rebels may be involved in a shootout, the Vols and Tigers will probably see more of a stalemate. Neither of these two teams are offensive juggernauts, and both have shown that their defenses can be formidable. In fact, LSU has one of the very best defenses in the nation. Teams are averaging a paltry 12 points per game against LSU. Tennessee certainly has moments. They held Oregon in check for a half. They shut out a miserable Tennessee-Martin team. Both teams have offensive liabilities. LSU has the worst passing attack in the SEC, and Tennessee can’t seem to get out of their own way. If Tennessee could put together four quarters of solid football, they might stand the chance at an upset. LSU’s total lack of offense will keep the Vols in the game, but the Tiger defense will be the difference maker.
10-17, LSU
Georgia Bulldogs at Colorado Buffaloes
Georgia definitely needs to stop the bleeding and at Colorado is a great place to start. Getting A.J. Green back will also provide an added boost. Going on the road might be best for the Bulldogs right now. After losing their opening trio of SEC games, their own fan base is likely as hostile as their opponents’. That’s added pressure the Bulldogs don’t need right now. Despite the 2-1 record, The Buffaloes ** **are not a quality football team. Colorado won three football games last year, and to this point in the season they have played only one quality opponent. That quality opponent, California, drilled the Buffaloes 52-7. This is an important game for Georgia. It starts a stretch that includes Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky. These are four winnable games for the Bulldogs and could help to get their season back on track.
33-20, Bulldogs
SEC Main Event
(7) Florida Gators AT (1) Alabama Crimson Tide
The Southeastern Conference sports a game for the second consecutive week of top ten football teams. For those that like to think that the SEC is down this year, the biggest heavyweight fights every week seem to originate from the power conference. Alabama and Florida are two examples of why the SEC is still the premier conference in college football. Few have doubted the Crimson Tide’s status at number one, but there have been questions about the Florida Gators.
Yes, the Gators have come out flat against Miami of Ohio and South Florida. They looked shaky at times against Tennessee. But the truth is that the Gators have outscored their opponents 151-57 over the first four weeks. Their points per game average is hovering near 40. They only surrender 14 points a contest. And this is a down year for Florida?
Lost in the shuffle of their sporadic offensive play is the Gator defense. The Gator defense gives up ** **less than a yard more per game than the highly praised Nick Saban defense from Tuscaloosa. The strength of their defense is stopping the run, a necessity to beat the gifted duo of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. Running the football isn’t the only concern for Bama while facing the Florida defense. Nobody in the SEC is as good as Florida at taking the ball away. In fact, Florida ranks third nationally in takeaways. Florida defenders also have a nasty habit of scoring touchdowns. They have scored three defensive touchdowns already this season.
Offensively, the Gators look like a team that has found an identity. That identity is Urban Meyer’s offensive forte. Returning back to the offensive schemes that made Alex Smith at Utah and Tim Tebow at Florida collegiate superstars, Trey Burton may be the SEC’s next big name. His ability to toss the football in game situations is still unproven, but his ability to run the spread option was proved beyond doubt against Kentucky last week. Burton dominated inside the red zone, an area where Alabama excels defensively.
As good as Florida is, Alabama is considered the best team in the nation. They took some early lumps in Fayetteville last week, but kept grinding until they took the lead late in the fourth quarter. It was a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The Crimson Tide is full of confidence, and confidence is a must to win in the Swamp.
Alabama has plenty of reason to be confident. They haven’t lost a regular season game since November 24, 2007. Alabama’s defense is different than Florida’s. While Florida’s defense relies on making big plays with sacks and turnovers, the Crimson Tide simply combine perfect technique with excellent game planning. With their athletes, the results speak for themselves. They rank first nationally in points surr** **endered per game.
Offensively, the Crimson Tide is head and shoulders ahead of where they were last year. Mark Ingram looks more agile than ever, and Trent Richardson is just as explosive. Greg McElroy has matured into a quarterback that is more than just a game manage** **r. ** Ag ainst Arkansas, McElroy orchestrated sustained drives with several important third down conversation passes. With weapons like Julio Jones on the outside and Preston Dial at tight end, the Crimson Tide are much more balanced than they **were last season. It’s a scary proposition for Florida that Alabama is better on offense this year considering they tallied up nearly 500 yards of offense in the SEC Championship game against the Gators last year.
In the end, I believe that Alabama is the most complete football team. They throw it well, run it well, and defend both the pass and the run. Their special teams are phenomenal. It is tough to find a chink in the Alabama armor.
27-21, Crimson Tide
