Thanksgiving SEC Preview: Iron and Egg Bowls
Alabama playing Auburn? Mississippi State vs Ole Miss? LSU vs Texas A&M? Heck, it’s almost like things are normal again.
Throw in Georgia’s trip to South Carolina, Vanderbilt going to Missouri (because Arkansas cancelled their game against the Tigers, so the SEC made Vandy and Tennessee do the same) and Kentucky going to Florida, and it’s an horrific schedule we’re faced with.
Oh, and Nick Saban’s got COVID again.
So here are the games to watch in order of interest:
- Mississippi State at Ole Miss (-9 1/2, Over/Under 68 1/2)
Ole Miss and Mississippi State has all the fascinating elements. There’s the peeing saga from last year. There’s Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach. There’s Mississippi State’s redemption at Georgia and whether they might be able to do the same here. There’s (hopefully) a lot of offense. Oh, and there’s outright hatred between both sets of fans, which makes it all the more spicey. The worst thing is that it’s on a Saturday, and somehow some idiot’s scheduling it AT THE SAME TIME AS THE IRON BOWL (get your laptop ready, folks!).
PREDICTION: Ole Miss wins in a shoot-out. Ole Miss 48, Mississippi State 44.
2. LSU at No.5 Texas A&M (-15 1/2, Over/Under 63)
Texas A&M hasn’t played in nearly a month, and reportedly Isaiah Spiller’s going to be back to full strength. LSU’s defense kept Arkansas to just 104 yards and the offense controlled the time of possession against the Hogs, but will this strategy be good enough against a Texas A&M team that’s going to be desperate for a victory, knowing that a potential play-off place is at stake? The key for everyone watching will be whether A&M comes out of the gate with rust, or whether they will be refreshed.
PREDICTION: This game is going to be closer than most expect, although A&M pulls it out. Texas A&M 41, LSU 34.
3. No. 22 Auburn at No.1 Alabama (-24 1/2 Over/Under 62 1/2)
If we get Good Bo Nix, then Auburn can stay within 7 or 10 of Alabama going into the last quarter. If we get Average-To-Poor Bo Nix, Alabama may be out of sight by half-time. Listen, the Tide can get beaten deep, and Anthony Schwartz is certainly going to be the weapon to beat them over the top (and possibly Tank Bigsby on the ground if he can play), but can Auburn survive the ‘Mac Attack’, as well as Najee Harris?
PREDICTION: Saban will be watching on from TV, but be very happy. Alabama 51, Auburn 31.
4. No.9 Georgia (-21 1/2 Over/Under 49) at South Carolina
The only reason why this game’s this high is that we are intrigued to see how JT Daniels does in his second start. The good news for him is that South Carolina is so depleted in the secondary, he and George Pickens should hook up all night long. Will Kirby Smart put his foot off the gas by the fourth quarter? Probably not.
PREDICTION: JT Daniels for Heisman! Georgia for the National Championship 2022! All is happier! Georgia 48, South Carolina 14.
5. Kentucky at No. 6 Florida (-21 1/2 Over/Under 57)
Kentucky has been awful lately. Opposition coaches know how to stop them (crowd the line of scrimmage and force the pass), and Kentucky’s ream of mistakes that have haunted the Wildcats during the season are now really killing them. Florida, on the other hand, is whirling around like a beautiful machine (offensively, anyway), which means that Dan Mullen can cover up for the awfulness that is the defense of DC Todd Grantham. Expect Florida to crowd the line and stop Chris Rodriguez and Akim Rose yet again.
PREDICTION: Florida. Easy. Florida 51, Kentucky 18.
6. Vanderbilt at Missouri (-15, Over/Under 51)
Vandy showed a lot of fight in their game against Florida, which bodes well against a team that struggled against coachless South Carolina in the fourth quarter of last week’s game. We really like Ken Seals, but will he be able to do a job against Nick Bolton and the Missouri defense? On the other side of the ball, Connor Bazelak continues to be another freshman sensation, but you can expect Eli Drinkwitz to pound the ball with Larry Roundtree if he gets enough of a lead.
PREDICTION: This will be more entertaining than most believe. Missouri 38, Vanderbilt 28.