Will Tennessee continue to rebound against Missouri? SEC Week 13 Preview
It’s Week 13 in the SEC, and to say the least, it’s a really, really dry slate. We know this because the big games of the week of the week are Missouri’s visit to Tennessee and Ole Miss’ visit to Arkansas. The rest is pretty dry.
So here we go with our Week 13 SEC Preview. I promise you, the games are incredible.
MISSOURI AT TENNESSEE
This clash of the unranked doesn’t mean that this game – at night at Neyland Stadium – isn’t important to Missouri – and to Georgia. If Missouri loses one of its upcoming games against Tennessee and Arkansas, it loses its stronghold on the SEC East, letting the Dawgs go to Atlanta. That means that in one of the weirder outcomes in SEC Football this year, Georgia fans will find themselves screaming: “Come On Tennessee!” on Saturday night – if they haven’t already been put into a coma by the earlier games. Missouri’s defense will face off against Tennessee Volunteers quarterback sensation Josh Dobbs, who’s has been putting the team on his back over the past few days. Missouri – which unexpectedly came out of Texas A&M last week with a win (the Aggies had beaten Auburn the previous week) – has a defense which can cause turnovers – but the offense has struggled almost all season long. Happily for the offense, they will face a Tennessee side licking its wounds without suspended playmaking LB AJ Johnson and sophomore defensive back Michael Williams, who were both named in a rape investigation by Knoxville police this week. AJ Johnson is noted as being the second-highest SEC tackler with 101 by blogsite “Rocky Top Talk” – and being virtually irreplaceable. But if we’re honest, if Johnson and Williams DID do what they’ve been accused of, they deserve to be suspended and jailed….but that’s just our opinion. One thing we do know: Neyland Stadium’s going to have a heck of an atmosphere on Saturday night.
PREDICTION: Missouri is a 3-point underdog. Thanks to Johnson’s injury, we think Missouri comes out with the victory by 10.
OLE MISS AT ARKANSAS
Verne and Gary have got to go somewhere on CrapCake Saturday, so it’s to Razorback Mountain to see a revitalized Arkansas side – who won for the first time in 17 tries last week by beating LSU 17-0 – take on No.8 Ole Miss. Theoretically, Ole Miss can still win the SEC West, thanks to its win over Alabama earlier in the year, but Armageddon in the SEC West is going to have to happen for that to happen. Arkansas would LOVE to make it 2 wins in a row, and so would the fanbase, who suddenly only need a win in their last 2 games to become bowl eligible. Ole Miss is still pretty beaten up after their losses against LSU and Ole Miss (WR Laquon Treadwell and LB Denzel Nkemdiche are the big losses on either side of the ball), while Arkansas just can’t wait to have Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams run.
PREDICTION: Ole Miss is a 3-1/2 point favorite. We’re going with the big upset, and taking the Razorbacks to win by 7.
VANDERBILT AT MISSISSIPPI STATE
Sadly, the thing that people are going to talk about this week when they discuss Mississippi State Bulldogs football ISN’T going to be about Dak Prescott’s still possible Heisman journey, or even the loss to Alabama. It’s going to be about safety Justin Cox, who was suspended after getting arrested for burglary and domestic battery. As we said about the AJ Johnson case, if he’s guilty he deserves to go to jail. Simple. Anyway, Vanderbilt threw out (yet) another running back this week (Jerron Seymour) too, but he’ll be less of a difference maker than Cox…by a mile. And about the game, we expect the cowbells to keep on ringing as Mississippi State tries and win their last game before the showdown with Ole Miss.
PREDICTION: Mississippi State wins, but not by the 30-1/2 point margin. Bulldogs by 28.
AND THE REST?
All the next SEC games will be won comfortably by SEC teams. And this will be the sound of no hands clapping.
Alabama to beat Western Carolina
Georgia to beat Charleston Southern
Auburn to beat Samford
Florida to beat Eastern Kentucky
South Carolina to beat South Alabama