The
rest of the big rivalries…
By
Jeff Sallas
Well we play
the rest of the rivalry games on a big Thanksgiving weekend. I went 4-2 last week missing Bama and
Georgia. That puts me at 54-20 (73%)
for the season. Let’s look at the rest
of the rivalries...
Arkansas
at LSU - The game of the week (FRIDAY at 2:30 CDT on CBS)
“Deciding the
SEC West Part I”. The winner of this
game will go to Atlanta if LSU beats Auburn next week. I cannot express my utter shock that
Arkansas is in this position. This is
the same team that could not muster 100 yards total on offense to UNLV to start
the season. They didn’t even have a
first down going into the 4th quarter against UNLV. They were almost as bad on offense for much
of the season. Somehow, someway Houston
Nutt and the Arkansas players turned it around. This scrappy hustling never-say-die bunch is one of the best
stories in the SEC this year. They have
now won 6 in a row, 4 in a row in the SEC.
Amazing completely amazing. It
started with the upset of South Carolina.
It continued with a rout over Auburn, the classic 7-OT thriller against
Ole Miss and finally a tough win over Miss St.
The
Razorbacks now come to Tiger Stadium to see if they can pull it off. They bring in their two-headed monster at QB
of Zak Clark and Matt Jones. The
freshman Jones put on another amazing display running for another 100 yards
against State. This guy has simply been
incredible running the option and finding a way to make a play. Cedric Cobbs also got untracked finally last
week and had his first 100 yard rushing game with Fred Talley not far
behind. The Razorbacks have finally
become the running team many expected at the start of the season. The beleaguered OL has come a long way. The defense has been good in this stretch as
well but should be tested this week...
The LSU
Tigers now control their destiny. Coach
Nick Saban has been given a gift by Bama.
Everything has really gone as predicted this year for LSU except losing
to Ole Miss at home. That threw a
wrench into the entire season. However
now they could not be in a better place.
They have their last 2 games at home for the SEC West title. They have also had a week off to take it all
in. They have the best passing game in
the West in QB Rohan Davey and super WR Josh Reed. The question is can their defense hold it together? I think they have a good shot because LSU
has been much more vulnerable to the pass.
Arkansas and Auburn are not good passing teams.
It is all on
the line in Baton Rouge and I don’t think either of these teams are going
quietly. Arkansas’ Houston Nutt played
a masterful game of field position football in the rain last year beating
LSU. He will be hoping for more bad
weather this year to slow LSU down. I
would not be surprised at all if Arkansas won this game, this team has really
shown a lot of heart. However I think
LSU’s passing game is the difference plus they are just too close and can smell
their first SEC West title...
LSU OVER
ARKANSAS
Ole Miss
at Miss St (THURSDAY at 6:30 CDT on ESPN)
Another
Thanksgiving version of the “Egg Bowl”.
It isn’t quite the matchup it has been the last few years but still
should be a good game. Both teams come
in on a down note. State has only won 2
games all year while Ole Miss has lost 2 in a row. There is no doubt Ole Miss really messed up letting that Arkansas
game get away from them. They win that
game and they are one LSU win over a devastated Auburn team from going to
Atlanta. They may never get a better
shot but they blew it. Now the only
thing that either team can do is end the season on a good note by beating the
other one.
You have to
give Jackie Sherill some kudos, the Bulldogs have not quit. They have scratched and clawed in their last
2 games losing close games to Bama and Arkansas. QB Wayne Madkin is out for the year with an injury and out period
since he is a senior and Sophomore QB Kevin Fant has played OK but did throw 3
INTs last week. RBs Dicenzo Miller and
Dontae Walker have just not been able to get untracked while the OL and WRs
have been complete disappointments. The
biggest thing is the OL. State has
consistently had a big intimidating run-block unit over the years and that is
what they have to get back next year.
The State offense should find some success but better watch out against
an opportunistic Rebel defense.
Meanwhile the
Ole Miss offense has been fabulous for most of the year but died last week
against Georgia. Ole Miss could only
muster 28 yards rushing against Georgia.
I look for Ole Miss to be much better this week. The State defense hasn’t been quite the same
this year and I look for Ole Miss seniors Joe Gunn and Charles Stackhouse to
really turn it up. I look for a more
ground-oriented attack from the Rebels with a lot of play action plays for Eli
Manning. David Cutcliffe has been very
loyal to his seniors and I think he will get Gunn and Stackhouse very
involved. These games mean much more to
seniors. I look for State to hold Ole
Miss early but think the Rebels will break though at some point...
OLE MISS OVER
MISS ST
Georgia
at Georgia Tech (Saturday at 6:30 CDT on ESPN)
The Bulldogs
rumble into Atlanta to take on the Yellow Jackets in what should be a very good
game. Georgia is looking to turn around
a series they once owned while Tech is looking for 4 in a row. This is looking like the toughest pick of
the week. Both teams come in with 3
losses although Tech has probably had the more disappointing season. With a senior QB and playmakers all over the
offense Tech was supposed to contend for the ACC title. However last year Tech did lose their
offensive coordinator that is now the coach of the year. Obviously Ralph Friegden has been a huge part
of Tech’s success over the last few years.
Friegden went to Maryland and led the Terps to a 10-1 record and the ACC
title.
Meanwhile
Georgia coach Mark Richt was able to rally the troops after a disappointing
loss to Auburn. The Bulldogs blew out a
good Ole Miss team at home. It was an
incredible game in that Richt just completely changed what he had done the
whole year. Georgia only passed 14
times and ran the ball and incredible 49 times. It worked though. However
I doubt that Georgia will be that run-oriented this week. I look for more of a balanced attack against
Tech. I think Georgia has to get
super-freshman Fred Gibson and veteran WR Terrence Edwards involved. The Tech defense has been good but let the
Jackets down in losses to Clemson and Virginia. Georgia should be able to score some points.
Meanwhile the
Georgia defense will face the best rated passer in the ACC in George
Godsey. Godsey was brilliant early
against the Georgia in Athens last year and led Tech to the win. The Tech offense while missing Ralph
Friegden is still very good with Godsey and 1000-yard rusher Joe Burns and
several very good WRs. The Georgia
defense has given up some serious yards to the pass and run this year. Tech ought to have some success on offense
as well.
This game
looks to be a serious shootout as it has been the last few years. I think Tech is a bit better overall but
that Georgia has played a harder schedule.
Also I think Georgia is much better off than the past few years with
Mark Richt simply because he has coached against this Georgia Tech team every
year at Florida St. Man this is a tough
pick but I am going to go with...
GEORGIA TECH
OVER GEORGIA
Vanderbilt
at Tennessee (Saturday at 2:30 CDT on CBS)
The
Widenhofer era comes to an end in Knoxville and it will probably not be
pretty. Kentucky gave UT a pretty good
scare and I doubt it will happen again.
There is not much to say about this game except it is the last step
before Gainesville for the Volunteers.
Since Vandy didn’t put up much of a fight against Kentucky it is hard to
see them turning it around at UT. It
probably won’t be as bad a whipping as Florida put on them but it could be
close...
TENNESSEE
OVER VANDY