B&S week 3: game by game previews
Vols and Dawgs, Aggies and Gators headline big Saturday games, while Hurricane Nick travels to Oxford.
By: Bossman Slim, The Hammer
Photo: Dale Zanine, USA TODAY Sports
We’re getting into the heart of the SEC schedule now - and man, this all-SEC schedule is sure giving us some fun matchups each week, right? The Vols look to announce themselves back into the SEC East elite today with a big win over Georgia. Can A&M right the ship and stop Trask and co. in Kyle Field? It’s going to be a fun day of football.
Time for some previews and picks.
Early Games
#4 Florida at #21 Texas A&M - 12:00 PM ET on ESPN (Florida -5.5)
Do the Aggies have what it takes to compete with a top #5 opponent? We think so. This could be complete naivete (based on years of failing to beat top teams for A&M) but we here at B&S are not ready to write them off. Partially because they have the talent and Jimbo is a good coach, but also because we bought a ton of Aggie stock preseason. Florida’s offense is humming and will be a huge challenge for A&M to stop. However, as bad as the Aggies looked against the Tide defensively, this is still the best defensive unit Florida has seen. Mike Elko is a fantastic defensive coordinator and I expect the Aggies to be improved from last week and have a solid scheme ready to stop Kyle Trask and co.
Offensively, the Aggies should be able to move the ball. A&M racked up 450 yards of total offense against Alabama last week, and this Florida defense is not close to the caliber of Bama. A&M needs to avoid turnovers, of course, but if they can do that I can see them running well and scoring into the 30s. Not sure why after all this time I’m still convinced A&M can win these kinds of games, but here we go. I think Jimbo and his team are ready to make a statement and Florida is a bit overhyped after two wins against middle to low end of SEC teams.
The guys over at The Junction Blog wrote a more comprehensive preview here.
#21 Texas A&M 34
#4 Florida 31
Missouri at #17 LSU - 12:00 PM ET on SEC Network Alternate (LSU -20.5)
Well, well, well the battle of the Tigers. Who will emerge as the Tiger King of the SEC? When the SEC re-did the fall schedule, they sure wanted LSU to start 3-0. Getting Mississippi State, Vandy and Mizzou for your first three games is as easy as it gets. Compare that to A&M who will play two top five opponents in the first three weeks. Or Mizzou who plays Bama, Tennessee and LSU in the first three weeks. We are on to your scheme SEC! Mike Leach put a wrinkle in those plans with a stunning week one victory over LSU, but things appear to be back to normal now. Both for Leach and Coach O and the Tigers. LSU rolled Vandy last week and should do that same to Mizzou.
Myles Brennan seemed to settle in last week and threw for over 300 yards, four touchdowns and just one interception. Look for him to continue that kind of play against Mizzou, as they just don't have the athletes to match up with LSU. Credit to Eli Drinkwitz who has his team competing and playing with effort, but there just is not much talent running around Colombia right now. That is typically the case when you fire a coach. I see Mizzou keeping it close for a quarter, maybe two, before LSU pulls away and puts these Tigers to sleep. Coach O, Mike the Tiger and this LSU team remain the Tiger Kings of the SEC for now.
#17 LSU 34
Missouri 13
South Carolina at Vanderbilt - 12:00 PM ET on SEC Network (South Carolina -12)
Vanderbilt will be 0-3 and continue the winless death march to getting likable and sometimes-successful Head Coach Derek Mason (likely) fired. We hope that isn’t the case as he coaches at one of the most difficult schools to coach football at in America, and dealt with an inordinate amount of opt-outs this offseason.
Commodores fans jumping ship on the Derrick Mason era.
South Carolina has found a competent QB in Collin Hill to run Mike Bobo’s system. If not for drops by South Carolina’s receivers last week, Hill would have helped the Gamecock’s push top 5 Florida up against the ropes. USC WR Shi Smith is on pace for a 1,000+ yard season, even in a shortened 10-game schedule. Look for him to put up big numbers again this week and keep on that 1,000-yard pace. Through two games, teams are averaging 435 yards per game against the Commodores, with an average of 7 yards per play. Yeesh. The Gamecocks defense is ranked 27th in the country through two games, and we expect that number to rise after they put the clamps on a limp Vanderbilt offense.
South Carolina 38
Vanderbilt 10
Midday Games
#14 Tennessee at #3 Georgia - 3:30 PM ET on CBS (Georgia -14)
You can read our full preview here. Georgia’s defense is too darn good, and the offensive line for the Dawgs came alive last week. Zamir White will get going, Stetson Bennett will continue to take care of the football, and the Black and Red will take care of the Vols.
#3 Georgia 31
#14 Tennessee 16
Arkansas at #13 Auburn - 4:00 PM ET on SEC Network (Auburn -16.5)
Arkansas comes off their first SEC win since Moses parted the Red Sea, while Auburn looks to get off the gurney after a beatdown at the hands of Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs. Arkansas showed they can play defense last week, and Bo Nix and co. have struggled through two games. But Georgia’s defense is on another level - the Tigers will be able to move the ball today against the Hogs. The Hogs had DC Barry Odom who has Leach’s number (he’s now 4-0 against Leach as a DC). We don’t expect him to be able to stop everyone this year.
Arkansas can pull off upsets this season, and if they beat Auburn today, Fayetteville could be seen from space from all the fireworks that will go off. But that won’t happen - Auburn pulls away late to give Chad Morris a little satisfaction over his old school.
Auburn this week back from the Georgia grave.
#13 Auburn 27
Arkansas 16
Late Games
#2 Alabama at Ole Miss - 7:30 PM ET on ESPN (Alabama -24)
Hurricane Nick will make a direct hit on Oxford tonight at 7:30 PM ET.
Dave in Tuscaloosa put together a stellar preview of the Tide and Rebs, which you can read here.
Here’s an excerpt from his preview: “This game will be a great test for the Alabama defense, as the contest will give us an idea of how much progress the unit has made under defensive coordinator Pete Golding. Ole Miss will score more points than Tide fans will be comfortable with (quick side note...the lunacy in Tuscaloosa is now to the point where Tide fans have a fit if an opponent gets a first down, let alone an actual field goal or heaven forbid, a touchdown...the travesty of it all), but the Tide offense will counter and, eventually, pull away from the Fighting Kiffs to bring home their third victory of the year. In a high scoring affair, Bama proves to be too much for Ole Miss and Saban emerges a perfect 21-0 against former assistants.”
#2 Alabama 56
Ole Miss 27
Mississippi State at Kentucky - 7:30 PM ET on SEC Network (Kentucky -3)
Well, that Mississippi State bandwagon was sure fun while it lasted! After beating LSU to start the season, and being favored by 18 points against Arkansas last Saturday, the wheels came off the wagon, losing to the Hogs 21-14. After rocketing up to #16 in the rankings from being unranked, Mississippi State finds itself back at square one among the seas of the unranked. KJ “Elvis” Costello looks to rebound from his rough performance.
Kentucky has started the year 0-2 and can ill afford to go 0-3. They should have had a win last week against Ole Miss, but boneheaded play and mistakes (once again) cost Kentucky a win. This team could easily be 2-0 if they would take care of the ball and make the gimme plays. But shooting themselves in the foot might be the story of this Kentucky team this year. They have the chance to halt that narrative today.
We like Mississippi State by a touchdown in this one. Kentucky can’t get out of their own way.
Mississippi State 27
Kentucky 20
It’s gonna be a fun day in the SEC. Chirp us on Twitter and we’ll see you back here tomorrow.