Around the SEC: Week 8

Review of Last Week’s Picks

Georgia at Vanderbilt
My pick: Georgia
Winner: Georgia 34-10

Mississippi State at Middle Tennessee State
My pick: MTSU
Winner: Mississippi State 27-6

Arkansas at Florida
My pick: Florida
Winner: Florida 23-20

UAB at Ole Miss
My pick: Ole Miss
Winner: Ole Miss 48-13

Kentucky at Auburn
My pick: Auburn
Winner: Kentucky 21-14

South Carolina at Alabama
My pick: Alabama
Winner: Alabama 20-6

My record: 4-2

Overall: 14-5

So I had one stupid pick: MTSU over Mississippi State.  But I really thought MTSU might pull off the upset, good job MSU putting a 21 point beat down on Middle Tennessee State.

Georgia blew over Vanderbilt after the thrashing they received from the Vols, with the Commodore offense looking as inept as they have all season.  Ole Miss put UAB away handily, though the Blazers still gained an impressive 230 yards on the ground.

South Carolina played the Crimson Tide close, but the Gamecocks couldn’t get in the enzdzone all night as Mark Ingram embarrassed their run defense with 246 yards rushing.

Florida pulled out a close win over Arkansas because of some horrible penalties called by the referees.  I’m not normally blaming losses on the officials, but the same officiating crew that blew a call that killed Georgia screwed up yet again in this game to give the Gators the win.  So these officials decide to change the course of two games based on their whims, and what happens?

They’re suspended! Hooray!

But wait… “The SEC says the crew will be removed from its next scheduled assignment Oct. 31…”

October 31st, that’s next week!  So basically, they screwed up, but we’re going to let them call the AP #1 team’s game (stole that from m_hollowell’s tweet).

We get to deal with these guys in Tuscaloosa, so if you see any bad calls you know where to aim your anger.

Anyways, back to my SEC picks for this week.

Arkansas (3-3, 1-3) at Ole Miss (4-2, 1-2)

What to look for: Ryan Mallet didn’t have the best game against Florida, but late in the game he made some throws when it counted.  This Arkansas team showed that they can hang with the #1/#2 team in the nation.  Yet again, though, he’s throwing against a tough defense, as Ole Miss is 8th in the country in pass defense.  I think this Razorback team is better than most people think, but I feel like this week may be a letdown game after that heartbreaking loss to Florida.

My pick: Ole Miss

UL Monroe (4-2) at Kentucky (3-3, 1-3)

What to look for: Kentucky somehow pulled out a big win over Auburn last week at Auburn.  With Mike Hartline injured, I don’t think anyone could have predicted that, but the Wildcats rushed for over 300 yards on the Tigers defense, amazing.  And while UL Monroe is 4-2, their wins have come against teams like FAU and FIU, so don’t let their record deceive you.  Kentucky wins this one on the shoulders of their tailbacks, easy.

My pick: Kentucky

Vanderbilt (2-5, 0-4) at South Carolina (5-2, 2-2)

What to look for: Another pick that’s as tough as eating the chocolate fudge ice cream I had last night, delicious!  Vanderbilt lost to Army, I mean what more do I need to say?  South Carolina has been impressive at times, but they’ve had a rough time in the west so far this season.  Spurrier doesn’t even have to have his team ready for this one, though.  Expect South Carolina to win big.

My pick: South Carolina

Auburn (5-2, 2-2) at LSU (5-1, 3-1)

What to look for: Auburn has been a strange animal this season, looking quite impressive with their first five wins and a smooth game to beat the Vols.  But lately, they’ve been on a downward slide after Mallet picked their defense apart.  Also, I think LSU is overrated.  Big time.  Their offense is terrible, ranking 112th in the nation after playing teams like Vanderbilt, UL Lafayette, Mississippi State, and Georgia.  Just plain bad, and I can’t see them beating Auburn in a tiger fight.  Auburn bounces back with a win over LSU.

My pick: Auburn

Florida (6-0, 4-0) at Mississippi State (3-4, 1-2)

What to look for: Florida may have a letdown game after last week, but this game will be easy as pie (Actually, pies aren’t easy to make, but this game will be!).  The Bulldogs do have a good run game, averaging 219 yards per game.  But their defense won’t be able to stop Tebow and the Gators as they win yet another game to keep up with the Crimson Tide.

My pick: Florida

I’ve done fairly well with my picks this season (started late!), but this week I feel strongly about most of my picks.  I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but I do know that the Alabama-Tennessee game isn’t so black and white to me.  Check back tomorrow for my preview of the Third Saturday in October!

Disagree with me? Agree with me? Let me know by making a comment or by checking the Like / Dislike buttons, I’d love to hear what my readers are thinking!