B&S week 6 game by game previews
Seats getting hotter, teams in desperate needs of wins, fans raising hell. Bring it on week 6.
By: Bossman Slim, The Hammer, The Waco Kid
Watch The Hammer on preview week 6 with Steven Willis, then read up on the rest of our previews.
We’ve got another great week on deck in the SEC. Grab a beer, fire up the smoker and prepare to be glued to the television all day. The Waco Kid is being locked in a dungeon that is his day job at the end of a quarter, so his previews are brief, but he got the job done. He doesn’t do it for him, he does it for y’all. Send up some thoughts and prayers for his sanity.
Let’s check in on how the crew fared last week:
The Waco Kid: 6-2; 45-9 overall
The Hammer: 5-3; 44-10 overall
Bossman Slim: 4-4; 42-12 overall
Early Games
#13 Arkansas at #17 Ole Miss - 12:00 PM ET on ESPN (Ole Miss -6.5)
Bossman Slim: Why. Is. This. A. Noon. Game. Missouri vs. North Texas is at 4:00 ET. What are we doing? The TV scheduling is driving me nuts. We need more flexibility in it. ANYWAYS - Ole Miss and Arkansas are each coming off big-time disappointments in measuring stick games. The Rebels got thoroughly smoked by Alabama, while Arkansas got roasted by Georgia. I’m pretty much going to throw those two games out the window. I don’t think anyone is beating Alabama or Georgia this year, except for each other. This is a very intriguing matchup with the high-powered offense of Ole Miss and the...less high-powered offense of Arkansas. I give the Rebels the edge here based on home-field advantage.
#17 Ole Miss 35 - #13 Arkansas 27
The Hammer: This should be an awesome matchup. Who can get up off the mat after being blown out? Can Ole Miss and Matt Corral avoid 6 interceptions this year? Both teams were somewhat exposed a week ago, although I think those games said more about Alabama and Georgia than Arkansas and Ole Miss. I like Ole Miss in this matchup. Lane and the Rebels were embarrassed against Alabama last week, and last year against Arkansas. They will be out for blood. Hog blood. That is easier said than done against a solid Razorback team but I think Corral and the Rebs will be able to put up more points than Arkansas.
#13 Arkansas 24 - #17 Ole Miss 31
The Waco Kid: Unfortunately it’s quarter end which means nothing good for me. I won’t have time to preview every game but I’m going to make some picks during my breaks so I can maintain some dominance. Here we go. Arkansas put up 0 against Georgia, faith has been lost.
#13 Arkansas 20 - #17 Ole Miss 37
#20 Florida vs Vanderbilt 12:00 ET on SEC Network (Florida -38)
Bossman Slim: Florida is good. Florida is bad. Dan Mullen is a good coach. Dan Mullen is a bad coach. And around and around the merry-go-round we go. I BELIEVED IN YOU DAN. What a letdown last week against Kentucky. The Wildcats were an unimpressive 4-0, and it looked like the Gators would notch another victory in Lexington. NOT SO FAST. Kentucky did just enough to beat UF as the Gators’ offense ground to a halt. Luckily for Florida, they have a pick-me-up game in The Swamp against a hapless Vanderbilt squad, that will serve as a mere punching bag for the angry Gators.
#20 Florida 45 - Vanderbilt 7
The Hammer: Florida really stunk it up in Lexington last week but luckily for Gator fans they get the Vanderbilt Commodores this weekend, who are abysmal. I’m interested to see if Anthony Richardson gets much time before the game is out of hand, as Emory Jones had a pedestrian performance against Kentucky. Other than that, this will be a snooze fest. Gators big.
#20 Florida 42 - Vanderbilt 3
The Waco Kid: No one can beat Vandy at their own game which is being bad.
#20 Florida 45 - Vanderbilt 13
South Carolina at Tennessee 12:00 ET on ESPN2 (Tennessee -10.5)
Bossman Slim: Oklahoma Sta- I mean Tennessee - looks like they may have figured out Josh Heupel’s offense with Hendon Hooker under center. The Vols annihilated Mizzou last week, and South Carolina isn’t much better than the Columbia Tigers. Heupel has Tennessee on the right track in season one, and will notch another nice win against a rebuilding USC.
Tennessee 38 - South Carolina 17
The Hammer: Interesting matchup here. A scrappy South Carolina squad against an inconsistent Vols team. Both teams are coming off wins, but Tennessee’s destruction of Mizzou was far more impressive than the Gamecocks win over Troy. South Carolina’s defense is solid, and I think will keep them in the game for a while, but Tennessee is the better team right now. With Hendon Hooker under center, the Vols offense has looked way better and I expect that to continue this weekend as the Vols take care of business on Rocky Top.
Tennessee 35 - South Carolina 21
The Waco Kid: Tennessee found their offense and Zeb Noland’s is still riding the bench for the Gamecocks. Dare I pick South Carolina?
Tennessee 24 - South Carolina 27
Midday Games
#2 Georgia at #18 Auburn 3:30 ET on CBS (Georgia -14.5)
Bossman Slim: Bo Nix for Heisman! Just kidding, but for one week, that was fun. Georgia’s defense might be the best college defense we’ve ever seen when this season is all said and done, and they’ll feast on Nix or Finley. Tank Bigsby won’t be enough to keep Auburn in the game and the “Bodini” magic from last week won’t happen against this suffocating Georgia defense. Whether it’s Tombstone Bennett under center or JT Daniels, it won’t matter. The Dawgs overwhelm the Tigers with talent and it will be apparent on Saturday.
#2 Georgia 41 - #18 Auburn 19
The Hammer: Classic SEC matchup here as we take in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. I would love to see Auburn build on that momentum they found against LSU, overcoming a two-score deficit on the road in a hostile environment, but the Bulldogs are too good right now. Football is a game of matchups, and this is a bad matchup for Auburn. Bo Nix made some heroic plays against LSU that covered up some offensive inefficiencies that I think UGA will exploit. Against power five opponents this year, Auburn has averaged 22 points a game. I don’t think they’ll be able to get to 20 in this game, and even if they did, I don’t think it would be enough to win the ballgame. Auburn’s defense needs to be lights out this weekend and make Stetson Tombstone Bennett throw his way to a win. I’m not sure they can stifle the Dawgs run game enough, and Bennett is an experienced QB who Kirby clearly trusts to get the job done. I’m just assuming JT Daniels won’t play but even if he does I’m not sure the game plan changes much for Georgia. Dawgs take care of business in Jordan-Hare.
#2 Georgia 31 - #18 Auburn 17
The Waco Kid: Bo Nix has one good game and everyone loves him. His frustrations against the Dawg defense will be Auburn's demise this game.
#2 Georgia 48 - #18 Auburn 10
Missouri vs. North Texas 4:30 ET on SEC Network (Mizzou -19)
Bossman Slim: Based on my quick Google search on how the Mean Green are doing, I know they’re bad. Based on my knowledge of the SEC, I know that Mizzou is bad. But Mizzou is not Mean Green bad, so give me the Tigers in a close one.
Mizzou 28 - North Texas 21
The Hammer: Missouri is not a good football team but luckily for super-nerd Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers, North Texas is even worse. The Mean Green head to Columbia with a 1-3 record and no wins over FBS programs. Times are tough right now in Denton, TX. This is exactly what Missouri needs after two straight tough losses. I expect Bazelak and the offense to get back on track this weekend.
Mizzou 38 - North Texas 17
The Waco Kid: This one’s simple Mizzou sucks, North Texas sucks worse.
Mizzou 31 - North Texas 7
Late Games
#16 Kentucky vs. LSU 7:30 ET on SEC Network (Kentucky -3)
Bossman Slim: Let’s see what you’re really made of, Kentucky. The Wildcats are 5-0 and threatening the top of the division after knocking off Florida in The Giant Grocery Store last Saturday. The win cost them a whopping $250K fine from the SEC for rushing the field, but screw the suits. That’s a huge win, and they shouldn’t have been fined a dime for it. Piss off, Sankey. As for LSU, Coach O is under serious pressure from all sides right now, and he faces 5 straight ranked opponents before facing Texas A&M to end the year. Yikes. If you read the tea leaves, the writing seems to be on the wall the O will be gone at the end of the year (which I find utterly insane, especially if they’re gonna have to pay him $21 million to walk). If he has any prayer of keeping his job, he must beat Kentucky on the road. I think he gets it done. Orgeron has been good with his back to the wall in his career, and Kentucky just honestly hasn’t impressed me. The Florida win is a good win - but they’ve skated by and the offense relies too heavily on the legs of Chris Rodriguez. LSU is able to contain Rodriguez enough, and Max Johnson hits a few big plays to get the Tigers a much-needed win.
LSU 27 - #16 Kentucky 20
Bossman thinks LSU dumps Kentucky in his fishin hole. The Hammer and Waco Kid disagree. Who ya got??
The Hammer: Big Blue Nation is flying high after their win over Florida last weekend. Will Levis is even putting mayo in coffee and cementing himself as a complete psycho. I love mayonnaise (Duke’s only) and I love coffee but putting them together makes me want to puke. Meanwhile down on the Bayou, Coach O has people upset because he jokingly told some idiot caller on a fan show he had “a nice little fishing hole for people like that.” The anger from that interaction is nonsense, but the football product Ed O is putting out there isn’t cutting it. LSU cannot run the ball at all, and the entire offense rides on the play of Max Johnson and Kayshon Boutte. I don’t think Kentucky is elite because Levis can’t really throw the ball downfield, but I’ll take the Cats in this one. Until LSU shows some sort of running game, I can’t pick them to win, especially on the road against a good Kentucky defense. I think Chris Rodriguez will find some running room, and Kentucky will not beat themselves, LSU will need to take it. I’m just not sure this Tiger team can at the moment.
#16 Kentucky 27 - LSU 21
The Waco Kid: Until LSU proves they can compete, I cannot pick them. Kentucky showed up last week against a much better Florida team.
#16 Kentucky 24 - LSU 17
#1 Alabama vs. Texas A&M 8:00 ET on CBS (Alabama -17.5)
Nick Saban is a machine.
Bossman Slim: This was hyped as the “game of the year” in the preseason. So much for that. Texas A&M has stumbled in the early part of this season, with issues all over the field. Their main issue is injuries, as multiple starters on both sides of the ball and multiple backups are sidelined with injuries. It seems this was A&M’s year to get whacked by the injury bug, and Battered Aggie Syndrome is affecting College Station more than corona right now. Alabama is back to being Alabama after a drubbing of the Lane Train in Tuscaloosa last week. This one will be another W for the Tide in dominating fashion, pushing A&M to 3-3 and 0-3 in the SEC. The questions will only get louder in College Station, as the Aggies were supposed to push the Tide in the SEC West in 2021 - not happening, partner.
#1 Alabama 42 - Texas A&M 14
The Hammer: Talk about the worst time to play Alabama. The Aggies are reeling right now after starting 0-2 in SEC play with disappointing losses to Arkansas at Mississippi State. Jimbo Fisher’s team has been ravaged by injuries, but the execution on the field has been even worse than should be expected, injuries or not. Meanwhile, Alabama seems to be clicking on all cylinders. The Tide rolled Ole Miss last weekend and played an excellent game in all three phases. The defense figured out how to stop the Rebels offense, holding Corral and company to just 291 total yards, and Texas A&M’s offense is not even half as potent as the Rebels. Hard to see the Aggies creating much of anything offensively against the Tide defense. On the other side, Alabama’s offense has been fantastic this season, although less explosive than we have seen in past years. The Aggies only hope here is to stop the run and get a ton of pressure on Bryce Young to hopefully force a few mistakes. Given what we have seen so far this season, I don’t see that happening.
#1 Alabama 38 - Texas A&M 17
The Waco Kid: Well A&M has had quite a fall since losing Haynes King and this is not a game you want to go into after a two loss streak.
#1 Alabama 35 - Texas A&M 10