SEC Predictions...
Excluding the Georgia-Florida game, which I will predict on Friday, here are my SEC picks for the week.
Tennessee at South Carolina:
"We are one game better than we were this time last year, but Tennessee (is stronger than) they were last year," - USC Head Coach Steve Spurrier.
This should be a great contest. The Gamecocks are coming off a dominating performance at Vanderbilt, and the Volunteers struggled mightily vs Alabama. It's a night game, which makes it much tougher for the visiting team. When it's all said and done, this could be the best SEC game of the week.
Key to the game for Tennessee: Run the ball, and do it well. Foster and Coker had poor games last week, and SC's secondary is too good to assume Erik Ainge will be able to throw all over them.
Key to the game for South Carolina: Force turnovers. Ainge threw three interceptions last week. That's why the score was so close.
Prediction: Tennessee will pull out a close win behind another great second half performance from Ainge.
Auburn at Ole Miss:
"We're probably as healthy as our football team has been since the first part of the season... Kenny Irons is healthy. Carl Stewart is another guy who is. Brad Lester is 100 percent. Our center Jason Bosley is back after getting hurt last week." - Auburn Head Coach Tommy Tuberville.
Key to the game for Auburn: Don't mess up. Only Auburn can beat Auburn in this game.
Key to the game for Ole Miss: BJ Green-Ellis. The running back has gained 706 yards this year, and he'll need a big game to knock off the Tigers.
Prediction: Though Ole Miss can keep things close at home, Auburn should win by two touchdowns.
Kentucky at Mississippi State:
"I don't think there is any doubt this is a pivotal game coming off a bye and coming off our worst game of the year at LSU. We have five games left and want to get into postseason play so we have to win three of the five." - Kentucky Head Coach Rich Brooks
"This is a big game both for us and for them. We're very concerned about Kentucky. They're much stronger than they were when we saw them last year." - Miss St Head Coach Sylvester Croom
It may not be a battle of top 10 teams, but it should be a close, hard-fought game.
Key to the game for Kentucky: Stop the run, please! Opponents average 209 yards per game against the Wildcats!
Key to the game for Mississippi State: Avoid 3rd and long. When the Bulldogs struggle, they are almost always struggling to convert on third downs.
Prediction: Tough one to call. I will take Mississippi State by a field goal.
Vanderbilt at Duke:
"They have an exciting young team. They are playing a lot of young guys and you can see them getting better with each game." - Vanderbilt Head Coach Bobby Johnson
Duke almost beat Miami last week, so maybe this won't be as easy as you might think.
Key to the game for Vanderbilt: Get WR Earl Bennett involved. Just look at his numbers in the win vs. Georgia. Then look at his numbers in the loss to South Carolina. He's very important to the team.
Key to the game for Duke: Stop Cassen Jackson-Garrison and make the quarterback, Chris Nickson beat you. He struggled mightily against SC.
Prediction: Vanderbilt by 14.
Florida International at Alabama:
"We want to get that winning feeling back. We have to prove to ourselves that we can play better." - Alabama Head Coach Mike Shula
Key to the game for Alabama: Forget about last week's game. Avoid the hangover effect.
Key to the game for FIU: Pray.
Prediction: This game doesn't need a prediction, but I'll take (drum roll please) Alabama.
Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas:
"Louisiana-Monroe is a team, that if you watched them play Alabama, they play really hard. They were in the ball game for two or three quarters and then they were down because of depth. You've got to be ready to play on any given Saturday." - Arkansas Head Coach Houston Nutt
Key to the game for Louisiana-Monroe: Do what you do best: force turnovers. Coach Nutt pointed out that they are second in the nation in forcing turnovers. The best way to do that is to try and slow down Darren McFadden and force Mitch Mustain to throw.
Key to the game for Arkansas: Make this game about Mustain. This is a lay-up for the Razorbacks against a team with one win. It will benefit them down the road to let Mustain try and be the man this Saturday, even if it means only winning by three touchdowns instead of four.
Prediction: Arkansas keeps on rolling.
