B&S Rivalry Week Saturday previews
Finish off those Thanksgiving leftovers and crack a beer as we close out the SEC regular season.
By: The Waco Kid, The Hammer, Bossman Slim
Can the Gamecocks make lightning strike twice and end their losing streak against Clemson? (Photo: Jim Dedmon, USA Today Sports)
We’ve seen some fantastic games so far this Thanksgiving weekend, let’s hope the trend continues today. I’m expecting some good old fashioned brawls as we have every Rivarly Week. Settle in and enjoy the final Saturday of the regular season, it should be a doozy.
The Waco Kid dropped two yesterday which puts him basically out of the running to win the straight up column, and he needs to hold steady in ATS as Bossman and Hammer gained a game on him with FSU’s win over UF. It’s going to come down to the final day to see who can pull out the victory in both columns. We wouldn’t have it any other way!
Let’s dig into our final regular season previews of 2022.
#1 Georgia vs Georgia Tech - 12:00 ET on ESPN (UGA -35.5)
Bossman Slim: I told you I learned my lesson. I have not. The Ramblin’ Wreck has no chance in this game. Now that I have said that, watch them win. No, but really, Georgia Tech does not have a prayer. It’s a rivalry game, throw it all out the window, yadda yada…no. Georgia is a machine, they’re the best team in the country and the favorite to win the national championship again. Georgia Tech has fought for a little respectability of late, upsetting ranked North Carolina last week…but I don’t care. The spread is that way for a reason. Georgia’s defense isn’t North Carolina’s defense, and Georgia Tech can’t stop the athletes and giants that the Dawgs can trot out on offense. Not too much in-depth analysis needed here, Dawgs big, but I think the Yellow Jackets cover the spread just because that’s such a big line.
#1 Georgia 42
Georgia Tech 10
The Hammer: Georgia Tech has been playing better football since the firing of Geoff Collins. The Yellow Jackets are surprisingly 5-6 right now and one more win away from bowl eligibility. The problem is Georgia ain’t no ACC team. They are the best team in college football. And unfortunately for Georgia Tech, home-field advantage won’t mean a thing in this game as Georgia fans always make up 50% of this crowd at a minimum. Georgia Tech is not a threat in this game, but I like Georgia Tech to cover. Kirby knows how important it is to squash his instate rival, but the Dawgs also have the SEC title game next week. I think the Bulldogs will get out to a solid lead and then just burn the clock to get out with a win.
#1 Georgia 34
Georgia Tech 3
The Waco Kid: Another slow start to a Saturday SEC lineup. The two 12 o’ clock games should be decided before teams step onto the field. Georgia takes on Georgia Tech in what seems like a mandatory in-state rivalry game. This game must be played due to its history but maybe going forward it should be pushed up in the season and the rivalry week game could be against the likes of Tennessee or Florida. Just a thought but would make for a little bit more interesting game. Of course this year it really would not have mattered who was slated to play the Dawgs. UGA is rolling to another undefeated regular season and is looking to win back-to-back natty’s and become the next great dynasty in college football. I can tell you right now the Tech Yellow Jackets are not the team that is going to derail that dream. Stetson should have a field day throwing the ball against a weaker opponent and Georgia should not have an issue putting this game away early.
#1 Georgia 45
Georgia Tech 10
#9 Clemson vs South Carolina - 12:00 ET on ABC (Clem -14.5)
Bossman Slim: Go ahead South Carolina fans, gloat all you want. I said what I said, and I’ll eat my crow - or in this case, rooster. So can lightning strike twice? Can the Gamecocks knock off teams with playoff hopes in back-to-back weeks? They have a great chance to do it in their rivals' home stadium. They haven’t beaten Clemson since Steve Spurrier was roaming the sideline for the Gamecocks, as the Tigers have reeled off seven straight. If there was ever a year to end the streak and topple Clemson, this would be a good year to do it. I don’t think the Gamecocks will be able to do the improbable and knock off Tennessee and Clemson in back-to-back weeks, mainly because of Clemson’s defense and style of play. The Tigers are much more balanced than the Volunteers, and their defense only allows 20 points per game, unlike the Vols defense which is much leakier (though Clemson has been gashed a few times - ahem, Wake Forest, Notre Dame). The Clemson offense is what comes into question, but they’re good enough to beat this South Carolina defense which gives up almost 400 yards per game. Give me Clemson to cover.
#9 Clemson 38
South Carolina 21
The Hammer: Is South Carolina a giant slayer? People are asking after they took down Tennessee last weekend in emphatic fashion. But this game isn't at Williams-Brice and lighting doesn't usually strike twice. Clemson is still squarely in the CFP race and I expect the Tigers to be ready for this one. They have to win out and the Gamecocks stand in their way. South Carolina could win this game but they will need to shut down Will Shipley and Clemson’s run game, force a few turnovers, and Spencer Rattler will need to have another epic game. That’s too much to ask for in my mind. I think the Clemson defensive line will have their way with the Gamecocks up front, forcing Rattler to struggle without much time in the pocket. I could see South Carolina’s defense giving Clemson some fits offensively, but not enough to pull off the win. I’ll take Dabo and Clemson to win and cover.
#9 Clemson 31
South Carolina 13
The Waco Kid: This is the second of two early games that should not be close. Unfortunately for the SEC, they will most likely be on the losing end of this one. Clemson is looking to stay in the hunt for the final playoff spot and has no intention of allowing South Carolina to stop them from achieving the possibility. The Gamecocks are coming off their best game yet to knock Tennessee out of the race but I am afraid they may have used up all of their magic in that contest. Their offense put up ungodly numbers and Spencer Rattler finally lived up to the hype that has surrounded him since he left high school. I think he may be brought back down to reality against a better Tigers defense and will go back to his turning the ball over ways. I don’t see SC putting up more than 24 against that defense and Dabo Swinney should be able to score at least 35 against an inferior team. Clemson wins this one by at least 14.
#9 Clemson 56
South Carolina 24
Kentucky vs #25 Louisville - 3:00 ET on SEC Network (UK -3)
Bossman Slim: I’m not sure what to think here, to be quite honest. I haven’t watched much of Louisville this year, but I do know that they’ve surprised people and that Scott Satterfield has saved his job. I really like this Kentucky defense just as much as I think the offense is stuck in neutral. I do think that it matters who starts for Louisville at QB in this game. Starter Malik Cunningham has been banged up and is questionable, while backup Brock Dormann (2 TDs, 4 INTs) is 2-0 as a starter but doesn’t instill the confidence in the offense that Cunningham does. This Louisville defense is no joke either, only giving up 19.6 PPG and forcing 28 turnovers this year for a +12 (!) turnover margin. That spells trouble for a Kentucky offense that has been turnover prone all season. I was going to take Kentucky, but that turnover margin jumps out at me. I do think it’s a big deal who starts for the Cardinals - if it’s Cunningham, I like Louisville. If it’s Dormann, I’ll take Kentucky. I think it’s going to be Cunningham, so give me Louisville to break the three-game losing streak against the Wildcats and take the Governor’s Cup home.
Louisville 28
Kentucky 27
The Hammer: I am just now seeing that Louisville is ranked. When and how did this happen? I’ve been critical of Kentucky all year long, saying they are overrated, and that was correct since they are 6-5 and not competing for the SEC East as many of their fans were expecting. That said, I like Kentucky here. The Wildcats have won three in a row in this series and four out of the last five overall. I’m not sure if this will be Will Levis’ final game in Kentucky Blue, but if his draft stock is any indication, he’ll be gone. Given how competitive he is, I expect him to play well in this game and deliver a big win for the Kentucky faithful that have been so supportive of him during his time there. Kentucky’s defense will give them a chance to win in this game, as they do every game, and without a healthy Malik Cunningham (even if he plays, I doubt he will be 100%) I don’t see the Cardinals scoring enough to win here. It’s also worth noting this is most likely Chris Rodriguez’s final game for Kentucky as well. Look for him to run hard and punish the Cardinal defenders.
Kentucky 24
Louisville 17
The Waco Kid: Kentucky is a tricky team. For the longest time at the start of the season, they looked like they could compete with Georgia for the East. Now they are getting knocked around by the likes of Vanderbilt and South Carolina. In their defense, they did actually compete against UGA and lost only by ten when it was believed they could have easily been a three-score underdog. I have not watched any of the Louisville games this year because they are not in the SEC and Lamar Jackson no longer plays for them, so who cares? I think their best wins came over UCF and Wake Forest so also not much to write home about. Another rivalry game means more than likely this will be a close matchup especially given both squad’s records. I give the edge to the Wildcats due to the fact they play an SEC schedule while the Cardinals played a weak ACC one. Also, we know what UK can do on offense when they are clicking and show up. They can compete with the best of the best, we just have to hope the early season squad shows up rather than what we’ve seen of late.
Kentucky 28
Louisville 25
#8 Alabama vs Auburn - 3:30 ET on CBS (Bama -22)
Bossman Slim: Don’t say it. Don’t say it…okay I’m not saying it, BUT Auburn has NEXT to no chance to win this game. While they’ve found some energy and become a feel good story under interim coach Cadillac Williams, this is a depleted roster with a one dimensional offense up against mighty Alabama in Tuscaloosa. If this was in the magical confines of Jordan-Hare, maybe I’d give Auburn a slightly better chance to win. I don’t foresee an improbable, storybook upset here as Alabama is the best team the Tigers have faced under Cadillac. I expect Saban to expose the weaknesses and walk out of Bryant-Denny with a convincing win.
#8 Alabama 45
Auburn 17
The Hammer: Can the Cadillac Williams train keep rolling? This will be a tough task against the Tide, but one Auburn “insider” thinks the Tide may throw the game. Perhaps this “insider” is forgetting that Nick Saban coaches Alabama and the idea of throwing a game would never even enter his mind. Or any sane coach for that matter. All nonsense aside, this is a tough matchup for Auburn. Their offense remains incredibly one-dimensional, and Alabama is great against the run, allowing only 107 rushing yards per game to their opponents. For Auburn to win, their defense will need to play lights out and they’ll have to find running room against a stout Tide front seven. If the Tigers do pull off an upset, they’ll become bowl-eligible which would be really impressive given the turmoil going on this year. Beating Alabama to get there though is too much to ask. This could very well be Bryce Young, Will Anderson, and Jahmyr Gibbs's final game in Crimson and at home in Bryant Denney. I look for Alabama to come out and play well. Losing to Auburn in a year like this would be unthinkable.
#8 Alabama 34
Auburn 10
The Waco Kid: The Iron Bowl is always filled with intrigue and magic. Anything can happen on this given Saturday. A missed field goal can be returned for a game-ending touchdown, a quarterback can lead the underdog back from a 24-point deficit to catapult his team into a National Championship berth, or Nick Saban can stomp you into the ground en route to another SEC Championship appearance. None of these will happen this year but still, a mystical aura will fill Tuscaloosa when Auburn visits this weekend. Tailgates will get rowdy, fans will be on a whole different level, and both teams will be fighting not for a chance at a championship but for a shot at glory and a year of bragging rights throughout the South, all the way from Auburn to Tuscaloosa. Even though Saban did not have the season he is used to with the Tide, every dynasty must fall to rebuild and become even stronger. And the leader of Alabama will not go quietly into the night. Bama is still a top-ten team with tremendous talent on both sides of the ball, while Auburn has been living on a prayer all season. The prayers have become more heard since Cadillac Williams took over coaching duties but since the game will not be held in Auburn, the Tigers cannot count on poor officiating to win the game. I think the Tide rolls in this one. I do not think they cover due to the nature of rivalries, especially this one.
#8 Alabama 45
Auburn 32
#6 LSU vs Texas A&M - 7:00 ET on ESPN (LSU -10)
Bossman Slim: I have talked myself into Texas A&M righting the ship and turning things around in just about every game this year because it’s just unfathomable to me how far this team has fallen with so much talent on the roster. If an enterprising social media shark wanted to, you could splice all of my Aggie picks from this year’s Locked on Ole Miss podcast tapings and then play the Larry David music at the end, because my A&M picks have been a clown show. So let me tell you something: get out the makeup and the wig, because I’m going with the Aggies again here in a big upset. Evan Stewart and Devon Achane are expected to be back and Conner Weigman will get back to the form he showed against Ole Miss. The Aggie defense gives up big chunks of yards on the ground and has a bend but don’t break mentality. Their Achilles heel is running quarterbacks, who have had their way with A&M’s depleted defense all year, so expect Jayden Daniels to have a good day running the ball. All of that sounds like LSU should whip A&M right? Right. Wrong. Nothing has made sense this year in at least one game a week, and this week, it will be this game. Expect Jimbo to pull out a few wrinkles to his offense, and A&M walks out of Death Valley with a jaw-dropping, skin-of-their-teeth win. I’ll either look like Ronald McDonald on Sunday or I’ll look like James Bond. O’Brother Weigman, where art thou arm to save me.
Texas A&M 28
#6 LSU 27
The Hammer: Texas A&M’s nightmare season is almost over. Their only task left is to try and play spoiler to rival LSU, who still has hopes of making it into the CFP. As Aggie wideout Jalen Preston said, A&M is hoping to “piss in their cornflakes.” It’s certainly possible, as we have said all year the Aggies can play with anyone because of the talent on their roster. The keys here are how healthy is A&M, and how does Jimbo call the game on offense? Unless A&M injects some creativity by way of motions, mixing up formations, etc. on offense, I don’t see how A&M scores enough to win. A&M isn’t good enough to just win 1x1 battles on offense without giving defenders anything else to think about. Plus, Harold Perkins is on the other side and he’ll likely be in Connor Weigman’s grill all night given how porous the Aggie offensive line has been. Defensively the Aggies should be able to give LSU some trouble. It’s not like LSU has been blowing opponents out with a high-powered offense. Jalen Daniels is playing well, but he’s not yet an elite QB like Bryce Young or CJ Stroud. So far this year, LSU has found a way to win their close games and A&M hasn’t. I don’t expect anything different in this one. A&M competes hard but is not able to make the winning plays.
#6 LSU 24
Texas A&M 20
The Waco Kid: LSU has everything to lose in this game while Texas A&M has nothing. That can make for a dangerous combination, a team with nothing to lose trying to end their season on a high note. But if Brian Kelly can lead this Tigers team into Atlanta with only two losses he can cement himself as a top head coach in the nation and prove the Bayou Bengals are back. The Aggies are very young on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball while the purple and geauxld have really stepped up their game throughout the season. It’s hard to see this game going any way other than an LSU win, but Kelly and Jimbo have not been efficient calling plays this year which makes for an even tougher matchup for A&M. As much as it pains me to say, LSU wins this outright and easily covers.
#6 LSU 35
Texas A&M 20
#9 Tennessee at Vanderbilt - 7:30 ET on SEC Network (UT -14)
Bossman Slim: Check out these Commodores on a two-game win streak! I’m all about it and hope that Clark Lea keeps Vandy headed in the right direction on their long march back to relevance. Tennessee has had a great season, but last week was one of the more disappointing performances for a potential playoff team this late in the season in some time. With the playoff now out of the picture and this game away from home, will the Vols get their minds right to finish out the season strong? Yes, I believe they do. I think Josh Heupel has built a resilient culture in Knoxville that will keep the Vols focused on the task at hand and put last week’s disappointment behind them. With Joe Milton at QB, I do think that Vandy has a better chance than they would have if Hendon Hooker was lining up behind center. Still, I think this Tennessee offense is too talented to drop a game to Vandy. If all else fails, just run seams a let Milton use that rocket launcher of an arm for big plays. I think this one is close into the third quarter before Tennessee pulls away. I am excited to see this sold-out atmosphere in Nashville, but a win over their rivals will have to wait another year.
#9 Tennessee 38
Vanderbilt 28
The Hammer: Like a few games this weekend, I have no clue what to think here. Tennessee is coming off one of the worst losses, given what all was on the line, in many years. Just an unthinkable collapse last weekend, and the worst part is Hendon Hooker tore his ACL. That means it's Joe Milton time again for Tennessee and from what we have seen out of him so far, that’s not good. Will the Vol’s offense still be able to move the ball? I truly don’t know. On the other side, Vandy is riding higher than they have in several years coming off wins over Kentucky and Florida in back-to-back weeks. Mike Wright is making the most of his second chance starting and Ray Davis runs as well as any back in the SEC. He is relentless. I’ll take the Vols here but give me Vandy to cover. The Commodores believe and are playing well. Meanwhile, Tennessee is reeling and without their QB. They should still win, but this one will be close.
#9 Tennessee 31
Vanderbilt 24
The Waco Kid: It would be a fairytale ending if Vandy was able to topple ol’ Rocky Top. It would also be a cold day in hell. But somehow the Commodores continue to surprise and beat teams, especially when playing in Nashville. All of the stars have aligned for this one with Hendon Hooker going down for the rest of the season just last week. This means the Vols are entering Music City playing for their first time behind a backup quarterback. This could be a recipe for disaster. Another thing that has Clark Lea’s team trending in the right direction is that UT’s defense was exposed, badly, by a subpar QB just last week when South Carolina took them for a ride with Spencer Rattler, the boy no wonder, who took them for 6 passing touchdowns. The Vols are no longer competing for a playoff spot but rather a top bowl game. While the incentive is still there it is not nearly as alluring as a shot at a national championship. I think the checkered orange and white get shell-shocked in this one and Vandy QB Mike Wright takes them on another ride for the second week in a row. After all the ‘Dores are playing for a shot at a bowl game which could be monumental for a program that is usually just trying to get out of last place in the conference. If Tennessee wins they easily cover by at least 20 but I think Vandy has a real shot at this one. Anchor Down boys.
Vanderbilt 42
#9 Tennessee 38