SEC and the Next Best 3 Week 2

[Chewbaccer]

Last week was pretty well what everyone expected, but we did learn a few things We learned that South Carolina's quarterback position is going to be shaky at best, and while their defense did much better than I anticipated, if North Carolina could have got an average game from Williams at QB, they could have easily blown SC out of the water.

For the most part, the cupcake games went as expected. UL-Lafayette played Kentucky a lot closer than I expected, and while Vandy's defense blew away my expectations, their offense looked down right horrible, only managing 4 field goals in a loss to Western Kentucky.

If Auburn's preseason hype is going to turn out to be warranted, I'm going to have to see a different Jeremy Johnson than I saw against Louisville. Opening week nerves? Maybe, but as of this moment, I'm not impressed with Auburn. Had Louisville had the same team as last season and not lost 10 players to the NFL draft, and weren't starting a true freshman QB, this game would have ended a lot differently. Ifs and buts, I know.

Alabama and Texas A&M were the most impressive teams of week 1, and I don't think there's really much debate about that. Alabama was able to move the ball on the ground at will against a supposed to be pretty good Wisconsin team, and that opened things up for Jake Coker, who I thought had a very good game and a promising sign for Bama this season. And Bama's front 7 was a force. A&M proved me wrong and took a top 15 team with a lot of hype to the woodshed. If their defense stays that good all season, A&M has potential to play in Atlanta for the SEC championship.

Overall last week, I went 11-2 in SEC games. South Carolina and Texas A&M were winners I didn't pick, and LSU's game was canceled. I got all 3 next best 3 games right.

On to this week's games

Uh, Last Week was Supposed to be Cupcake Weeks:

Jacksonville State @ Auburn- Maybe a tune up game against an in state FCS team is will get Jeremy Johnson headed in the right direction and in top form for the upcoming conference games. Louisville gave Auburn all they wanted last week. This week I think Auburn will get their nerves settled, and run all over this FCS opponent. Final Score- Auburn 58-7

Fresno State @ Ole Miss- Really we still don't know a heck of a lot about this Ole Miss team other than they have the ability to hang 76 on an FCS team, and they still have a lot of talented players There was a time not too long ago where this game wouldn't have been called a cupcake, but Fresno State has fallen on some hard times here lately, and if last week showed us anything, it's Ole Miss isn't going to let up on the weaker opponents. No chance for Bad Bo showing up big this week with him being gone, so Final Score- Ole Miss 55-6

Middle Tennessee @ Alabama- Middle Tennessee isn't a horrible team. Chances are they will go bowling this season, but they are still a Sun Belt team, and not one favored to win the conference and probably won't be playing on New Years day. We all saw what Derrick Henry and Kenyon Drake were able to do against a quality power 5 team in Wisconsin. We all saw Jake Coker do a good job when he was called upon, and we all saw how stout Bama's front 7 looked. This game won't be close. Final Score- Bama 49-0

Toledo @ Arkansas in Little Rock- This will be the season opener for Toledo, who is coming off of a 9 win season last year. They still fall in the cupcake department, but they are not a team to just completely ignore. They have the ability to put up some points. But at the end of the day, Arkansas is a pretty strong team with a damn good running game and I look for them to run all of the Rockets of Toledo. This will be an opportunity for Arkansas's defense to show us a little bit of what they have. Final Score- Arkansas- 42-10

Ball State @ Texas A&M- Honestly, I haven't watched a Ball State game since they were flirting with an undefeated season a few years ago, but I see the times these days aren't as kind to the Cardinals. They were given a run for their money by FCS VMI last week, and they weren't even a top 100 team last year. Texas A&M on the other hand hasn't had stock this high since they beat Bama in 2012 with Johnny Manziel. Hard to come up with words that mnakes this game sound interesting other than the fact that it is still a college football game. Final Score- Texas A&M 56-7

Missouri @ Arkansas State- First off I have to question why on earth Missouri is traveling to a Sun Belt team's stadium? Mizzou has a nice stadium up there in Columbia, and I haven't watched a game played there that wasn't sold out. I guess you don't have to pay the scrub as much money to beat them in their stadium. Missouri never could get its run game going against Southeastern Missouri State last week, and while a 4 touchdown win is hardly a close game, I was expecting more out of Mizzou's offense. I still have a lot of confidence in their defense, but if they want to play in the SEC hampionship game again, they will need to get their run game going, and playing the Red Wolves could be a good place to start. Final Score- Missouri 38-3



A Rematch of a Bowl Game From Last Season


East Carolina @ Florida- ECU started out hot last season after they beat a Virginia Tech team who was fresh off of a win against eventual national champions, Ohio State. They ultimately sputtered down the stretch, finishing the season 8-5 including a loss to these Gators in whatever they called the scrub bowl they played in, and they barely beat FCS Towson last week, so I don't see the early season rise in rankings for the Pirates this season. We still don't know much about Florida this season. They still have a new coach, they still don't have a QB that I'm confident can move the ball down field, but I do think they have a solid run game and they have the potential to be a good defense. A blowout of one of the worst teams in the country in New Mexico State last week didn't prove much, but I do think Florida starts the season 2-0. Final Score- Florida 28-13


For The Premise of the Thread, I Won't Call Conference Games Cupcakes


Georgia @ Vanderbilt- Georgia is coming off an expected blowout of lowly Louisiana-Monroe in a weather shortened game last week. Vanderbilt on the other hand is coming off of a 14-12 loss to Western Kentucky. I feel very confident when I make the homer statement that Georgia has one of the better run games in the country. Nick Chubb is a Heisman candidate, and it appears that 5 star, Nick Marshall is back to 100% and capable of returning to the success he had in his freshman season. Third stringer, Sony Michel is also a 5 star recruit by the way. But at the same time, Georgia still doesn't have a quarterback that is capable of taking over a game. It's a formula that shouldn't cause too much trouble against the weak and middle of the pack teams, but if they are going to beat the likes of Bama and Auburn, they are going to have to throw the ball. Their run defense is one of the best in the conference, I'll hold judgement of their secondary when they play a team with a good passing attack. For the game, Vanderbilt just doesn't have enough on offense to keep this game competitive. Western Kentucky isn't a defensive juggernaut by any means, yet the lowly Commodores offense only managed 4 field goals in a losing effort to them. Vanderbilt will be playing in their home field in front of mostly Georgia fans. Final Score- Georgia 45-0


Last Season's Matchup was a Pretty Good Game

Kentucky @ South Carolina- As I said last week, I think Patrick Towles is an underrated quarterback with the potential to be the best quarterback in the SEC East. He and the entire Wildcats offense had a very good week against a decent Louisiana-Lafayette team. But, this will be the first test for his offensive line, who had a lot of problems with protecting Towles last season, and if he doesn't have time to throw, it doesn't bode well for the run game either. And while the offense had a strong showing last week, we still saw the same old terrible Kentucky defense. Winning by only a touchdown and allowing 33 points to UL-Lafayette is a major cause for concern for Kentucky's chances of success(making a bowl game) this season. Last season the Wildcats saw their fans storm the field after pulling off the upset of South Carolina. We'll get to see if they can do it on the road this season. South Carolina showed us last week that they still don't have much of a quarterback. Connor Mitch struggled against what is supposed to be a weak North Carolina defense, and aside from the long touchdown run to take the lead, SC's run game couldn't really get much going either. But with the aid of poor QB play and running game from North Carolina, SC had a good defensive showing last week, and was getting in the backfield routinely, which was a big problem for the Gamecocks last season. I expect this to be a close game, as I don't expect either team to be great this season, but I think the Gamecocks have a better defense, and I think they will be able to get through Kentucky's o-line and put some pressure on Towles and stop their run game. SC still needs to be able to score, but I think they'll get the run game going a bit this week and get the win at home. Final Score- South Carolina 24-17

 

[Chewbaccer]

Best Conference Game of the Week

LSU @ Mississippi State- Both teams come into this game ranked. LSU is currently 14th while Mississippi State cracked the top 25 at number 25. Last season the Bulldogs came into Death Valley and put a beating on the Bayou Bengals. I'm sure Les Miles and his expected to be improved to team are out for some revenge this season. After MSU's hot start last season, they really faltered down the stretch. Their pass option offense confused teams early in the season, and Dak Prescott really came out of nowhere and was named a Heisman finalist. But teams started figuring it out late in the season, and MSU really didn't have an answer. With last week's game being canceled, I still haven't had the chance to see Brandon Harris play, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity this weekend. And I'm also looking forward to seeing what Leonard Fournette will do in his sophomore campaign. Really I'm looking for Brandon Harris to have a strong showing this Saturday, and I don't think Miss State will be able to stop LSU's rushing game. I'm pretty confident when I say LSU will be a much improved team this season, and Mississippi State will be back on their way to the bottom of the SEC West. Everyone has saw the pass option now and figured it out. Miss State won't be as strong on defense this year, and they won't come out of the gate and punch LSU in the mouth like they did last season. LSU had to wait an extra week to play their first game of the season, but I think LSU fans will find that it was worth the wait after the Tigers travel to Starkville and get some sweet revenge on the Bulldogs. Final Score- LSU 34-20


Game of the Week

Oklahoma @ Tennessee- I firmly believe that both of these teams will be very much improved over last season. Oklahoma was very disappointing last season, and while 7 wins in never anything to brag about, it was a huge step in the right direction for the Volunteers. Tennessee still has some work to do on defense. I have no doubt that they will be able to put up points against. Josh Dobbs isn't one of the best quarterbacks in the country by any stretch, but he is the best QB that Tennessee has had in quite some time, and he is more than capable of leading a team with a two headed monster of Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara running the ball and very talented and experienced receiving group headed by Marquez North, and three seniors on the offensive line. Tennessee could have the most balanced offence in the SEC East, and being as experienced as they are, they won't be an easy game for any team this season. On the defensive side of the ball, they could stand a little improvement, but I think they are a better unit than what we saw last week. They have a lot of upperclassmen in their starting defensive lineup, and they have a few highly regard underclassmen mixed in as well I do believe that regardless of the outcome of this game, they will finish the season in the top 20.

Oklahoma has one of the best running backs in the country in Samaje Perine and a talented group of receivers headed by Sterling Shepard, but while a 41-3 win against Akron last week doesn't sound any alarms at the surface, I am concerned about them not being able to move the ball on the ground against the Zips and Perine being held to just 3 yards per carry. I think most Sooner fans will agree that they will need a big improvement in quarterback play if they want to be contenders this season. Poor QB play and poor defensive play lead to 5 losses for the Sooners last season, and for a team with one of the best histories in the game, that's not acceptable, and a repeat could find Bob Stoops on the hot seat. Baker Mayfield should be an improvement over Trevor Knight, but Saturday will be his first big test as the starter for the Sooners, and it will come in a hostile environment against a good team.

For the game, I look for Tennessee to move the ball both on the ground and in the air and put up some points. They have too many weapons to be held down like they were last season against the Sooners, also I haven't seen anything yet to make me believe the Sooners will be able to hold down the Volunteers' offense. On the other side of the coin, Tennessee did allow Bowling Green to put up 30 points on them last week. They still won by 29 points, but the game was a lot closer until the fourth quarter. Tennessee will have to have a better defensive showing if they want to come out on top. I do think Tennessee will be able to hold down Oklahoma's running game, but their secondary will need to step up their game. At the end of the day, I think both teams are going to be able to score a lot of points, but I have more confidence in Tennessee being able to move the ball both on the ground and in the air. Hurd and Kamara have the potential to be the best 1-2 punch at running back in the country, and when they get going, Dobbs will get some good looks at some talented receivers. Neyland Stadium in Knoxville is a tough place to play even when the Vols are down. With the hype surrounding the team this season, I look for the crowd to be electric, and I think Tennessee is able to score more points on offense and make more stops on defense. Final Score- Tennessee 41-33


The Next Best 3

Oregon @ Michigan State- This is one of the more anticipated games of the season, and a win for either team in this one could have huge playoff implications. Last season the Spartans held on in Autzen for much of the game, but saw Oregon pull away in the second half. This season the Ducks don't have Marcus Mariota, and their defense wasn't very impressive against FCS Eastern Washington. The game this season will be in East Lansing. Call it an overreaction if you want, but if Oregon's defense doesn't play better this week, I really don't like their chances of getting a win on the road against a top 10 team. I look for Michigan State to play solid defense throughout the game and keep the Ducks from running wild like they are accustom to. Oregon will get their points, they have the ability to take it to the house on any given play, but they'll be stopped more than they are used to in this one. The Spartans have the better defense, a capable offense with a veteran QB and home field advantage. Final Score- Michigan State 45-35

Boise State @ BYU- Had Taysom Hill not went down, this would have been a much better game, but with the dramatic hail Mary win against Nebraska in Lincoln last week, I can't leave them off when they are playing a very good Boise State team who is coming off a quality win of their own against Washington. For the game, I think Boise State is too good defensively to lose to a team with a backup QB starting. Mangum pulled out the win, but his performance would have been less than memorable is not for a miraculous play to win the game. Hill is just one player, but it's hard for any team unless you're Ohio State to maintain success after your starting QB goes down. I look for Boise State to hold down BYU's offense and pound away and get the win. Final Score- Boise State 27-14

Iowa @ Iowa State- I know this isn't a marquee match up by any stretch, but as far as ranked teams go, the pickings are pretty slim this week for quality matchups that haven't already been covered, and this is a rivalry game, so it's one of those where anything can happen. I mean, Iowa State did pull off the upset last year on the road. With that said, The Hawkeyes will be looking for revenge in this game, and what better way than beating your in state rival in their own house? I don't look for either team to get too far this season, but Iowa should at least make a bowl game, and Iowa State is probably going to be down there with Vanderbilt and Colorado as one of the worst power 5 teams in the country. It's a rivalry game and anything can happen, it did last season, but with me not being very knowledgeable about either team, I have to pick the better team, even if they are on the road. Iowa gets their revenge. Final Score- Iowa 28-24

 

[Chewbaccer]

These will get more interesting when the big conference games start coming up.

 

[4down20]

MTSU could score on Alabama. They had a big offensive game last week.

Especially the case considering our 2nd team secondary didn't do so hot last week, and they are likely going to get a decent amount of playing time in this.

A shut out would be sweet though. If they score in the 1st half against the starters, ouch. But 2nd half, I'm not confident enough.

 

[Chewbaccer]

MTSU could score on Alabama. They had a big offensive game last week.

Especially the case considering our 2nd team secondary didn't do so hot last week, and they are likely going to get a decent amount of playing time in this.

A shut out would be sweet though. If they score in the 1st half against the starters, ouch. But 2nd half, I'm not confident enough.

They might get a garbage time TD or FG, game will still be a blowout and that's all that really matters.

 

[mutiger]

Mizzou is playing at Arkansas St because they had to get what they could. When Mizzou moved to the SEC, they had to redo pretty much their entire non con schedule which is usually done several years in advance.

 

[Chewbaccer]

Mizzou is playing at Arkansas St because they had to get what they could. When Mizzou moved to the SEC, they had to redo pretty much their entire non con schedule which is usually done several years in advance.

I guess, just seems strange for a quality P5 team to be playing on the road against a scrub team.

 

[Norka!]

These will get more interesting when the big conference games start coming up.

Trust me Chewy, you got my interest and I agree that Bama's Coker looks like he really could be special at QB, all kinds of poise and like you, I was also more than underwhelmed by Auburn's QB play and I'm not convinced of Auburn at AP #6. Good stuff my friend and I'll be chatting with you later and thanks for doing this!

 

[7Samurai13]

Just waiting for OD to wake up.

 

[fishinabarrel]

Good read

 

[TigerBait1971]

@OregonDucks will appreciate your take on the game against MSU.

 

[WestEndVol]

Middle Tennessee @ Alabama- Middle Tennessee isn't a horrible team. Chances are they will go bowling this season, but they are still a Sun Belt team, and not one favored to win the conference and probably won't be playing on New Years day. We all saw what Derrick Henry and Kenyon Drake were able to do against a quality power 5 team in Wisconsin. We all saw Jake Coker do a good job when he was called upon, and we all saw how stout Bama's front 7 looked. This game won't be close. Final Score- Bama 49-0

C-USA team now.

Left the Sun Belt a few years ago.

 

[Mistaken4193]

We wont shut MTSU out.

 

[Tharvot]

MTSU could score on Alabama. They had a big offensive game last week.

Especially the case considering our 2nd team secondary didn't do so hot last week, and they are likely going to get a decent amount of playing time in this.

A shut out would be sweet though. If they score in the 1st half against the starters, ouch. But 2nd half, I'm not confident enough.

They have a decent offense with the way they spread things out. Alabama will maul them upfront on both sides of the ball though.

 

[Shanemansj13]

We wont shut MTSU out.

Way to think positive, negative nancy.

 

[Mistaken4193]

Way to think positive, negative nancy.

They will score 10 points. 3 on our starters and a TD on our backups.

 

[Shanemansj13]

They will score 10 points. 3 on our starters and a TD on our backups.

I actually predicted like 52-10, so that sounds about right.

 

[gb2]

and while Vandy's defense blew away my expectations, their offense looked down right horrible, only managing 4 field goals in a loss to Western Kentucky.

Vandy scored a touchdown on their final series.
Missed the 2 point conversion though, which is why you might have thought it was 4 F.G.'s.

 

[gb2]

Final Score- LSU 34-20

Miss State keeps it close, and may well win it.

 

[Shanemansj13]

I dont see LSU blowing out MSU. I think it is a close game in Starkville. Miss St has a solid defense and LSU has not proved they have a QB. Plus this is their first game of the year, it will most likely be a struggle in that first half.