B&S week 6: game by game previews
A full SEC slate is back after a hiatus, with some big matchups headlining Saturday
By: Bossman Slim, The Hammer, The Waco Kid
Photo: Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports
We’re halfway through this unique and short-season, so before we get into this week’s picks, it’s time to check-in on where the three amigos of B&S stand in weekly pick’em. Nothing is on the line except shame or glory, and the fate of our country as we know it. With that much pressure on us, trust me, The Waco Kid is getting shamed into shape for his abysmal track record thus far. Along with the editing department, he’s next on the list for a chewing out, and he knows it. He’s been hiding in his work-from-home office all week. It’s really embarrassing for our pristine blog. We hope you’ll send us an email or a tweet to pile on him (@biscuitsandsec) - he’s got to get his head out of his ass.
We started this in Week 2 since we’re building this airplane while going down the runway, and it’s lopsided because Bossman Slim bears the burden of carrying this team on his back. Only facts here.
Here’s the breakdown:
The Hammer: 2-1, .667 win pct
Bossman Slim: 8-5, .615 win pct
The Waco Kid: 1-2, .333 win pct
Let’s get into the picks and see if The Waco Kid has any sense this week.
Early Game
#5 Georgia at Kentucky - 12:00 PM ET on SEC Network (Georgia -14.5)
If Kentucky couldn’t get it going against Missouri, they sure as hell aren’t getting it going against Georgia. And now, the Wildcats are without starting QB Terry Wilson. That could actually be a benefit for the Wildcats, as Wilson has led an almost non-existent Kentucky passing attack all year. This offense is one dimensional with him captaining the ship. It’s either Chris Rodriguez Jr. running, a Terry Wilson scramble, or a Terry Wilson incompletion missing an open receiver. It’s frustrating to watch. Then every once in a while...what’s the saying? About a blind squirrel finds a nut? You get the picture. Problem is, if backup Joey Gatewood has not overtaken him as the starter already after multiple rough performances from Wilson...is he really a better option? Missouri controlled every facet of the game last week against Kentucky, stifling the putrid Wildcat offense and running it down their throat to mitigate one of the UK defenses strengths: forcing interceptions.
This Georgia team matches up very well with Kentucky. The game plan is pretty simple: pound the rock all day, set up some play-action, high-percentage throws for “Tombstone” Bennett to mitigate the possibility of interceptions. On defense, Georgia’s corners are good enough to play man to man so that the Dawgs can load the box and key in on the run. You dare Joey Gatewood to beat you with his arm.
Stoops can coach and gets the most out of his players, but it won’t be enough this week. Georgia follows the Missouri blueprint and walks in this one.
#5 Georgia - 38
Kentucky - 14
Midday Games
LSU at Auburn - 3:30 PM ET on CBS (LSU -3)
Your guess is as good as mine.
Both of these teams need another win in the worst way, and both have been hard to predict this year. LSU lost to a bad Mississippi State team, but they could get a pass for that one. Then, they lost to Missouri...and it started to stink on the Bayou. Then last week, they trot out a freshman QB against a solid South Carolina defense who had just beaten Bo Nix and the Tigers, and hang 52 on them in a runaway win. Huh??
Auburn on the other hand is having one of their “off-years” with Gus Malzahn, but Gus has again given the SEC officiating office just enough cash to keep them on his team. This team is 3-2, but could easily be sitting at 1-4 if not for some help from officials in the Arkansas and Ole Miss games.
This one has brought out some odd games and some thrillers.
So what to make of this game? LSU starter Myles Brennan, still sitting at #2 in our Brennan rankings, will not be playing for the second straight week. TJ Finley, who tore up South Carolina, will get the start. Auburn is coming off a skin-of-their-teeth win against Ole Miss. Bo Nix played better in that game, but the identity of this offense is now obvious: give the ball to Tank Bigsby.
We’re expecting TJ Finley to have another big day against Auburn, adding more gasoline to the fire on talk of him replacing Brennan as the starter full time. Bo Nix is not good enough through the air to exploit an uncharacteristically weak LSU secondary, and LSU will dare him to beat them with his arm. Can he do it? We’ll believe it when we see it.
Give me LSU.
LSU 33
Auburn 24
Ole Miss at Vanderbilt - 4:00 PM ET on SEC Network (Ole Miss -17)
Derek Mason this week talked about how Ole Miss “eye candy” could be distracting for Vanderbilt. B&S can confirm, Ole Miss eye candy is very distracting. Mason’s quote was taken completely out of context by 247 for some good old fashioned clickbait, as he was talking about Lane Kiffin’s offense, but no one cares. The point remains: Vanderbilt is really bad and they are going to Ole Miss where there is eye candy in The Grove and eye candy in the backfield.
Easy call here: Lane Train uses distractions to drop the Anchors by a really, really big margin.
Ole Miss 41
Vanderbilt 17
Bossman Slim
Late Games
Mississippi State at Alabama - 7:00 PM ET on ESPN (Alabama -32)
Photo: Kevin Cox, Getty Images
Even Dak Prescott couldn’t take down the Tide in his time in Starkville.
Mike Leach is affectionately referred to as the pirate, due to his long-standing fascination with pirates. True to his nickname, The Pirate has led many players to walk the plank in his first year at Mississippi State. Seven players have left the program in the last two weeks, including star running back Kylin Hill. That guy led the SEC in rushing last year and he just walked away! This is no surprise though, because despite his funny press conferences, Leach is a strong disciplinarian. He (allegedly) locked Craig James' kid in a storage shed for crying out loud. Leach even said after the Kentucky loss, “We're going to have to check our group and see who really wants to play here.” Many Bulldogs decided they, in fact, do not want to play there.
While Mississippi State is going through growing pains and a culture change under a new head coach, Alabama continues to roll. No one has been very close to the Tide all year, and we expect more of the same on Saturday. Mississippi State has nothing offensively and while their defense has been decent, Alabama can put up points on anyone. It’s a shame Jaylen Waddle is done for the season, as he was one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country, but the Alabama offense will be just fine this weekend. Najee Harris could run for 200+ yards or Mac “Daddy” Jones could throw for 500+ if they wanted to. We’ll see what the game plan is for Alabama but it’s going to be a long day for the Bulldogs no matter how you slice it.
This spread says all you need to know. Bama -32 against an SEC opponent? Yes, Mississippi State is struggling that much. I expect Bama to be up big by halftime and see them coasting through the second half to a decisive victory. This is the perfect game for Nick Saban to lose his mind after a late Mississippi State touchdown just to make sure his team doesn’t get too comfortable.
#2 Alabama - 45
Mississippi State - 7
The Hammer
Arkansas at #8 Texas A&M - 7:30 PM ET on SEC Network (Texas A&M -11.5)
Jimbo Fisher and Sam Pittman both have their programs headed in the right direction. Fisher may be a few years ahead but a rivalry is a rivalry and you can never count out the other team.
Each team is equally equipped to put on a show for the viewers. You can read an in-depth analysis of the history of this game in the game of the week blog. As someone who was enrolled at Arkansas and ended up going to A&M, I will have to say my decision of which college to attend ended up being the right choice for my football preference. Gig‘Em.
#8 Texas A&M 38
Arkansas 17
Missouri at #10 Florida - 7:30 PM ET on SEC Network-Alternate (Florida -11.5)
Photo: Jay Biggerstaff, USA TODAY Sports
The Missouri Tigers have been the upset trolls of the year, hiding under bridges and collecting fees from top-notch programs, and if those programs refused to pay the toll well the Tigers sent them packing with an embarrassing loss. Yeah, I’m talking about you, LSU and Kentucky. All you had to do was pay the toll troll but no, the thought was “Mizzou sucks we don’t have to pay our dues,” and because of that poor choice, your programs were made out to look like incompetent flag football teams on national television. As discussed on B&S, Missouri did not even have a clear quarterback going into week two of the season. Yet this is a team that has bested the reigning national champs and a Kentucky team that looked like an East contender going into the matchup last weekend. Mizzou has refused to be knocked out by the competition in the SEC but all trolls come face to face with their demise at some point. I just felt obligated to give praise where it was deserved before I ripped into the program.
That being said, Trevor Lawrence has a better chance of playing this weekend than Missouri has of leaving Gainesville with another win. There are turning points for every college football team in a season, and this will be one for the Tigers - unfortunately, it will not be a turn for the better. Mizzou has been able to endure Alabama and Tennessee beat downs and come out victorious against middle of the pack SEC teams, but they are about to head to a place where players’ dreams are chopped up and fed to the Gators. The Swamp takes no prisoners; those who enter either leave victorious or do not leave at all.
The dual-threat of Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts will overwhelm Missouri, and as bad as the gators are on defense, there is no way the Tigers can keep up with an offense who has not scored less than 38 points all season. A good Texas A&M defense could not slow down Trask, so I am hesitant to say any other team has a chance to rise up defensively. Trask, Pitts, and Toney will continue dominating opponents and Missouri will not be the team to stop that.
Dan Mullen can look forward to an easy win in this game, sending Mizzou home with their third loss of the season.
#10 Florida 42
Missouri 28
The Waco Kid