B&S Week 12 game by game previews
By: The Hammer, Bossman Slim, The Waco Kid
While it isn’t the best slate of games today, there are still some interesting matchups on the docket and football is on TV so you won’t find complaint’s from us.
Let’s dig and and get ready.
Early Games
#1 Alabama at Arkansas - 12:00 PM ET on ESPN (Alabama -32)
Photo: Chris Graythen, Getty Images
Dave in Tuscaloosa leads us off with his preview of the Tide and Hogs. We’ve got a teaser below, and you can read his full preview here.
“Offensively, the Hogs are led by Florida transfer Feleipe Franks, who is having a terrific campaign, completing 68% of his passes for 2,017 yards, and 17 touchdowns against only four interceptions. He is questionable for the game as he’s battling a rib injury, but his backup KJ Jefferson showed promise in last week’s contest against Missouri. Junior running back Trelon Smith is averaging 5.6 yards per carry and has 5 touchdowns to his credit. Receivers Treylon Burks and Mike Woods are having fine seasons, accounting for a combined 12 touchdowns. Overall, the offense ranks 7th in the conference and is averaging 28 points and 414 yards per game, which is a huge improvement from 2019, when the unit finished 13th in the conference and averaged 21 points and 340 yards per game. On the defensive side, the Hogs are still a work in progress as they rank 11th in the conference and are surrendering 453 yards and 33 points per game.
On the other sideline, the Crimson Tide appears to be peaking at the right time. Coming off of beatdowns of rivals Auburn and LSU, the Tide continues to hit on all cylinders. Any hope by Hogs fans and Bama detractors that the Crimson Tide may be looking ahead need to be put that thought to rest right now, as the last time the boys in Crimson and White lost to an unranked opponent was Saban’s first year at the helm, a shocking 21-14 loss to Louisiana-Monroe in 2007. Since then, Alabama has run off 98 straight wins over unranked teams. They simply do not look ahead and every opponent gets an equal amount of Bama respect, preparation, and effort. In addition, Coach Nick has never lost to the Razorbacks as the Tide’s lead man.”
See the full preview for score prediction.
#9 Georgia at #25 Missouri - 12:00 PM ET on SEC Network (Georgia -13)
Photo: Andrew Davis Tucker, Georgia Athletics
What was chalked up as an easy win for Georgia before the season started has turned into one of the best matchups of the weekend. First year coach Eli Drinkwitz has the Mizzou Tigers playing darn good football as of late. The Tigers have won five of their last six games since starting 0-2.
Georgia meanwhile has had a disappointing season by their standards. The Dawgs sit at 6-2, but have not defeated a ranked team and lost to Alabama by 17 and Florida by 16. Not what the Bulldogs fans were hoping for. Georgia also will not represent the SEC East in Atlanta for the first time since 2016.
The Georgia offense has looked better as of late with JT Daniels under center, but the sample size is small. Daniels came out on fire throwing for 401 yards and four touchdowns in his debut against Mississippi State, but he followed that up with a much more ordinary 139 yard, two touchdown and one interception game against South Carolina. So let’s not crown him the next Matthew Stafford or Aaron Murray just yet.
As good as Mizzou has been playing as of late, they did just give up 48 points to Arkansas with a backup QB starting for the Hogs. I think Mizzou will hang tough but just not have enough to outlast Georgia. With JT Daniels the Dawgs at least have the ability to stretch the field, which opens up holes for the rushing attack. Plus, any true freshman quarterback going up against Georgia’s defense has an uphill battle. Connor Bazelak has been solid this year, but Georgia typically shuts down the opponents run game so Bazelak will be asked to do a lot if the Tigers hope to pull off the upset. I’m not sure he’s there just yet.
Give me the Dawgs in a good game.
#9 Georgia - 31
#25 Missouri - 21
The Hammer
Midday Game
Tennessee at Vanderbilt - 4:00 PM ET on SEC Network (Tennessee -15.5)
It’s hard to know where to begin here. You could write a whole series on what is wrong with these two programs. But we don’t have time for that today. Both of these teams are bad. Vandy has already fired their coach and Tennessee is starting to think real hard about letting go of theirs. Tennessee is 2-6 and favored by 15.5. That should tell you just how bad the Commodores are. If they can somehow, someway pull of this upset, they might get Jeremy Pruitt run out of Knoxville.
Tennessee started the year 2-0 and has since lost six straight. The program seems like it has little direction, and while there are many issues, the quarterback position tops the list. For Vandy, the issues are up and down the roster, but the blame can be placed on an athletic department and donor base that hangs coaches out to dry by not investing in the football program.
With all that positivity in mind, give me the less-bad team today. South Carolina, another SEC bottom-feeder in 2020, beat Vandy 41-7. I expect this one to be closer, but the Vols get the job done.
Tennessee 38
Vanderbilt 17
Bossman Slim
Late Games
LSU at #6 Florida - 7:00 PM ET on ESPN (Florida -23.5)
Let’s keep it in the holiday spirits y’all.
LSU got eaten by the Gators
Hoping just to make it through the year
Coach O self-imposed a bowl ban
But as for ma and the SEC, there was hardly any fear
The Tigers had been riding high on a Natty
We told them the Swamp was not the place to go
They wanted to prove themselves to the Committee
And now look like college football’s very worst low
Without key players Gilbert, Chase, or Shelvin
The Bayou Bengals sure are lost
They may not score a lot in this one
But best believe Saturday Kyle Trask will be exploiting an open seam
LSU got eaten by a Gator
Hoping just to make it through the year
Coach O self-imposed a bowl ban
But as for ma and the SEC, there was hardly any fear
Kyle Pitts may be the best tight end in the nation
And that should scare the Tigers quite a bit
The Gators will end the game in jubilation
While Coach O throws a nasty 4th quarter fit
Trask will shred them for more than four TDs
Toney will see at least one come his way
The LSU defense will be on their knees
And Kyle Pitts will have a monumental day
LSU got eaten by a Gator
Hoping just to make it through the year
Coach O self-imposed a bowl ban
But as for ma and the SEC, there was hardly any fear
The final will not be quite as it would seem
For LSU will hang around
But Florida will pretty much crush that dream
And the Tigers will leave, no-bowl bound
#6 Florida 34
LSU 16
Auburn at Mississippi State - 7:30 PM ET on SEC Network (Auburn -6.5)
Photo: Butch Dill, AP
This game could take a turn for the interesting. Mississippi State is in need of a quality win to create some hype for the program, and Auburn hasn’t quite seemed to find out the reason their offense is stalling. I will give you a hint on Auburn’s issue though, his name rhymes with Throw Picks, which ironically is what he does best. To put this into perspective Bo Nix has thrown 10 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. In the NFL Nick Foles did the exact same for the Bears and now he is a backup to MITCHELL TRUBISKY; you know the first-round draft pick that Chicago has been trying to get rid of for the past couple of years? That’s a terrible stat line at this time in the season - it oozes sloppy play and an inability to read a defense.
Thus begins the new saga in Auburn football folklore, the “Bo does not know” era. Don’t get me wrong Nix is a good athlete but he lets his emotions overtake his athleticism and makes poor choices when throwing the ball. South Carolina got into his mind the best and we saw how that turned out. As young as he still is, he tends to let defenses get to him and rattle his brain instead of being cool, calm, and collected. It sometimes comes off as him having the maturity level of a high schooler that got blocked in the back and cannot focus on anything but revenge for the rest of the game. This is a selfish tendency that all players come to realize is detrimental at some point. It’s better to be on the field to help your team than leave your boys on the field so you can get your revenge. By no means should he turn into a stoic Kellen Mond, but if the Tigers want to continue to win they will need to keep his emotions in check. And look at the stats, there is a reason Texas A&M is ranked higher and just beat Nix, and it is because Mond can be emotionless at times but will not let a defense get into his head.
Mississippi State has a few paths to victory in this contest, I believe. By no means will it be easy to overcome a talented Auburn team, but there are ways. For starters, new quarterback Will Rogers found his stride last game against Ole Miss when he threw for 440 yards and 3 touchdowns. Kid is a freshman putting up those kinds of numbers in the SEC. He will need to have another outing of that caliber to have any shot at beating the War Eagle defense. As previously stated, the Bulldogs will also need to get into Bo Nix’s head. The defensive line will need to be in the backfield, hitting Nix and disrupting his progressions. It also never hurts to talk inaccurate, incoherent nonsense about opposing players' family, friends or significant others and if MSU can throw Bo off his game with this kind of stupidity, it could end well for the Starkville faithful. Last and most importantly, State has to slow Tank Bigsby. If they cannot hold him to under 100 yards rushing it’s game over for Mike Leach.
Don’t count Mississippi State out of this one, and if the Pirate were to just answer my calls he would know how to get under Bo Nix’s skin. I am assuming he won’t because I have a Texas number and he is probably still worried about any other kids that he may have left out in the Lubbock shed. I think Auburn is too talented a team to lose, but I will say this one is definitely the Tigers to give away.
Auburn 38
Mississippi State 30
The Waco Kid