Can Auburn Burn Georgia? Week 12 SEC Predictions

Wow. It’s Week 12 of the college football season, and although some writers have been saying: ‘It’s one of those crappy match-up weekends in college football’, we at the SEC would nominate Georgia and Auburn  – one of The South’s most ancient and nastier rivalries – for ‘Game Of The Week’ (I mean, I can’t waaaaait to watch Stanford/USC #sarcasm #moreUSCSongGirls at prime-time.

Anyway, can Todd Gurley & Co upset the ‘Malzahn machine’? 

GEORGIA AT AUBURN

This year, it was expected that Auburn would still be in the doldrums after a terrible 2012 under Gene Chizik, while Georgia would be contending for a National Championship. Well, the tables are turned. Georgia – beset by injuries – added to their first-day loss to Clemson by losing at home to Missouri and then Vanderbilt, while Auburn’s loss at LSU is the only one on their schedule, and if they come through Georgia and then win against Alabama, they are going to be going to the SEC Championship Game. A tall order indeed.

Great news for Georgia: Their talented running back Todd Gurley is getting back to somewhere near full strength, and wide receiver Michael Bennett’s getting better and better after coming back from a knee injury against Tennessee. The bad news for Georgia: Their defense is horrible, and is going to struggle with Auburn’s hurry-up offence and its mastermind coach, Gus Malzahn.

BOTTOM LINE: Auburn’s a 3-1/2 point favorite, while Georgia’s 6/4. We’ll take Auburn by a touchdown.

FLORIDA AT SOUTH CAROLINA

If things hadn’t already have gone to the proverbial toilet in the sky for the Florida Gators, they then lost at home to Vanderbilt- a team that they haven’t lost at home to since 1947. That’s a long time.

Anyway, under-fire coach Will Muschamp was given the dreaded vote of confidence. Tell you what: He’ll need his team to have a bit of confidence, which they don’t have bearing in mind their horrific injury list, and poor play on both sides of the ball (Florida’s ‘D’ was incredible until conceding over 50 points in the last two games combined).

South Carolina, on the hand, found a way to win at Missouri and are buzzing going into the Florida game. Coach Steve Spurrier was God in Florida, so playing his old team will be interesting for him. Watch out for RB Mike Davis, who’s a ferocious running back. And it’ll be interesting how their defensive first rounder Jadeveon Clowney plays, too.

 BOTTOM LINE: South Carolina’s a 13 point favorite. We’ll take South Carolina to win by two touchdowns, but it’s going to be tight until the fourth quarter. 

ALABAMA AT MISSISSIPPI STATE

Despite King Cowbell’s sterling fourth quarter at Texas A&M (they still didn’t win), we don’t expect Alabama to encounter the same problems with Mississippi State. Alabama’s offense is great, the defense is great….and Mississippi State’s got ‘potential’, as Analyst Of The Year Gary Danielson kept saying, but that’s about it.

BOTTOM LINE: Alabama’s a 25-1/2 point favorite. We’re taking Mississippi State (not to win, but to lose by more than nearly 4 TDs), because Alabama may well have some difficulty in the first quarter trying to deal with Dak Prescott. But when they do, this is going to be carnage.

KENTUCKY AT VANDERBILT

This isn’t going to be one for the neutrals (but definitely one for the 12.21 audience on Jefferson Sports Pilot) by any stretch of the imagination. Kentucky will be feeling low because not only is their football team not that good, but Big Blue Nation’s basketball team lost their No.1 status to Michigan State in Chicago in mid-week. And nothing makes Wildcats fans more annoyed than knowing that they aren’t going unbeaten in a basketball regular season. They’ll be playing Vanderbilt, who came away with a stunning with over hapless Florida IN THE SWAMP, the first time this has been done since Noah could feel that there was a bit of damp in the air. Of course, there are off-season distractions for Vanderbilt, but will that stop them beating Kentucky handiliy?

BOTTOM LINE: We’re taking Vanderbilt and the points. More because Kentucky isn’t ‘there yet’. 

…AND THE GAME WE DON’T CARE ABOUT

TROY AT OLE MISS

Unless the Trojans come with the USC Song Girls, we’re not interested.

BOTTOM LINE: Ole Miss is a 29-point favorite. We’re taking Ole Miss.