LSU and Alabama finish #Hateweek With Actual Game: Week 11 SEC Preview
One of the funniest things about the LSU vs Alabama rivalry is the amount of crap that gets talked between the fans. Fans of both sides (using #LSUHateweek and #BamaHateWeek hashtag symbols) have peppered each other with pretty unoriginal Twitter messages all week long. The great thing is is that at 8pm ET both sides are going to shut the **** up because there’s an actual game on, and we can focus on bitching about the game, not which side was more screwed by more refs. Both fans have memories like elephants, so they are really good at holding grudges, too.
Elsewhere in the SEC, it’s a battle for survival. Georgia NEEDS to beat Kentucky after its horrible loss to Florida last week to have any hope of winning the SEC East Championship, while Florida can keep its own hopes alive with a win against Vanderbilt AFTER its good win in the Cocktail Party. Texas A&M NEEDS to stop the rot with a win at Auburn, and Auburn NEEDS to keep on winning to stay in the College Football Play-Off – particularly with the fact that Ole Miss and Mississippi State have pretty easy games this weekend. And elsewhere, everyone else is off. Sadly.
No.5 Alabama at No.16 LSU
This is going to be an interesting game because of the amount of moving factors. Will Alabama run the ball like they did against Tennessee and Texas A&M, or will they run the ball like they did against Arkansas? Will LSU finally get some mistake-free QB play out of Anthony Jennings and (maybe) Brandon Harris? Will LSU’s wide receivers make enough plays to cause Alabama’s secondary problems? Will LSU’s defense actually be able to tackle Blake Sims? Will Amari Cooper get 15-20 catches? Will CBS pick up the rude chants coming from LSU’s student section (hell, the whole of Tiger Stadium). Hell, if they win, will the Alabama fans make it out alive after singing ‘Rammer Jammer’?
PREDICTION: Alabama’s a 6-1/2 point favorite, and although we love the atmosphere in Tiger Stadium at night, we’ve got a feeling that Alabama’s going to win this one comfortably. Bama by 10 in a game that doesn’t seem as close as that.
Texas A&M at No.3 Auburn
Remember this: The last time Auburn was a 20-point home favorite in a match-up with a SEC tire fire, they struggled. That was South Carolina a few weeks ago. This week the league’s next biggest tire fire – Texas A&M – rolls into town having limped away with a win over mighty ULM at home, looking for identity everywhere from QB to the defense. Vegas seems to think Auburn’s going to coast, because the Tigers are a 23-1/2 point favorite. We think it’s going to be closer. Here’s why: Auburn doesn’t have a great defense. Sure, the D made plays to ensure that they came away from Ole Miss with the ‘W’, but it was still brutalised by an Ole Miss offense that’s done little this year. Seriously, if Kevin Sumlin and his offensive guys get it together, Auburn’s in for a game. A&M HAS the weapons, people. Let’s not forget this. Speedy Noil can frighten any secondary and he’s due a big play on special teams. Kyle Allen surely can’t be THAT bad a QB, can he? As for the Aggies’ defense? Er….Anyway. They ain’t gonna stop anybody.
PREDICTION: We’re going for Auburn to win, but only by 14. Which isn’t going to be a bad loss for the Aggies, all things considering.
No.20 Georgia at Kentucky
A lot of people rushed to blame/fire/burn at the stake Mark Richt after the loss against Florida, but we can actually see the logic. Treon Harris, the UF QB, was brought in because he had a better arm and could run the ball better than Jeff Driskel. Georgia had a weak secondary, and therefore was constantly on guard for the run that never came. The Gators wide receivers became extra blockers, and UGA couldn’t deal with it, and UF ran amok. This week they face a Kentucky crowd that’s going to be baying for blood. This is a team that beat South Carolina, played UF to the hilt in The Swamp, and had the chances to beat Mississippi State. This is a team on the up. It’s also anxious to prove itself after being beaten to death at LSU in a game that before a lot of people tipped the Wildcats to pull off the upset. Nick Towles, the UK QB, has the arm to cause UGA’s secondary a ton of problems, and rushing-wise, Nick Chubb is going to need all the blockers he can to put holes in Kentucky’s defense, which despite struggling at times, has its fair share of playmakers. Watch out, Doggies.
PREDICTION: UGA’s a 10-point favorite. We’re going for Kentucky to win outright, folks.
Florida at Vanderbilt
Florida’s on a high, and Vanderbilt’s awful. That’s all you really need to hear about this game. Sorry ‘Dores fans, but what else is there to say? Your team has an 0-fer in the SEC, you’ve struggled in almost every SEC game you’ve played in (apart from three quarters of South Carolina), and even your non-conference games haven’t exactly seen electric performances.
PREDICTION: Florida’s a 14-5 point favorite. We predict Florida to win 21. It might be 21-0, but it still beats the spread.
UT-Martin vs No.1 Mississippi State
Mississippi State. Easy. The best thing that can happen in this game for MSU is that there are no injuries.
Presbyterian vs Ole Miss
Ole Miss. Easy. The best thing that can happen in this game for Ole Miss is that there are no injuries.