Weekly ‘Weakly SEC Football Predictions’| 2014, Week 7

By Eric Taylor -

Week 6 Results (3-3) | Overall Record (34-11)

Whoever said Week 6 will be the best football weekend of the 2014 SEC Football season is an idiot. It’s probably the same guy who picked Alabama to beat Ole Miss by a “buncha” touchdowns.

As most Alabama fans do after losses, I spent all weekend and most of Monday configuring a scenario where Alabama and Ole Miss can meet again for a rematch so we can say ‘Bama went 1-1 versus the team that beat us, but we won the one that mattered so we deserves titles and stuff.

Yes. I say “we.” I will not apologize for it. Check the price on the ticket stub. The same people who tell me the most important part of the student-athlete is the student are the same people who allow ticket prices to hover around $50-$80… for one ticket. So, yeah. When there are hundreds of dollars dropped on a weekend to watch a team that should have only coaches and admin on the payroll, you better believe that it’s “we.” If Saban has a problem with it, then, well, okay, I’ll pay that rate and refer to the team as “y’all” and “them.”

Like I was saying, football is really stupid, but I’ll watch it again. Besides, I owe it to the people to continue cranking out these great predictions. Sure, we took a hit this week with three losses. But, hey, we got three wins as well, you guys, sooooooo……

Anyway. The SEC West tho’. Am I right? In April of 2012, I wrote that the SEC should allow two teams from the same division to play in the SEC Championship Game. Here’s my argument. This season may be one of the years this would argument would work.

Week 5′s Weakly Comparison
Weakest Two
1. Ole Miss 23, Alabama 17 (Predicted Alabama 32, Ole Miss 14)
2. Florida 10, Tennessee 9 (Predicted Tennessee 41, Florida 14)

Awesome Two
1. Mississippi State 48, Texas A&M 31 (Predicted Mississippi State 41, A&M 28)
2. Kentucky 45, South Carolina 38 (Predicted UK 23, South Carolina 6)

Week 7 Predictions

Did y’all see that every team in the SEC West is really good? I’m beginning to sound like Tony Schiavone when he talked about this WCW Monday Nitro will be the biggest ‘Nitro ever. I’m about to do the same things.

Remember last week when we weren’t sure if this week’s games were going to be huge? Now, Week 7 is ready to give us more great games.

All Times Eastern | Utilizing AP Poll until College Football Playoff Selection Committee poll is released on October 28.

Saturday, October 11, 2014
#13 Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC) at #23 Missouri (4-1, 1-0 SEC)
Noon ET | CBS

There was a moment in time, so many years ago, when you could look at the SEC standings and not see a team from the Big 12. Fast forward three years and here we are. When looking for said Big 12 teams, you don’t have to look too far down the list of teams to find Missouri or Texas A&M.

Missouri has already won the SEC East in its second season in the conference and Texas A&M would have won the West in their first season, but they play in the West, so they had to settle for 12 wins and a Heisman Trophy-toting freshman.

About this Missouri team. The Tigers are 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the SEC. They defeated South Carolina in Columbia two weeks ago. What has everyone scratching their heads is the game they played a week prior to the win at South Carolina. Missouri found a way to allow Indiana (Hoosiers, not Indianapolis Colts) to beat them in Columbia.

Missouri beat a downtrodden and injury-plagued Georgia Bulldog team in Athens last year to put themselves in the SEC East driver seat that they never relinquished.

Georgia is no longer injured. At least not in the most important spot of the roster  — Todd Gurley. So long as Gurley can find his way on the field, Georgia will be the team to beat in the SEC East, not to mention there’s not a team in the West where they would be a severe underdog. The Bulldogs win on the plethora of legs they have in the backfield, but not pair of legs are more important than Todd Gurley’s.

Georgia should find a way to win this one in Columbia, Missouri although each team has lost a game that has both fan bases pulling a Nancy Kerrigan and asking, “WHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!?!!?!?! WHY HI HI WHHHHYYYYYY!!!!?!?!” Too soon? Sorry.

This one will be a great opening act to a great SEC Football Saturday.
FINAL SCORE: Georgia 42, Missouri 37

ULM (3-2) at Kentucky (4-1, 2-1 SEC)
Noon ET | SEC Network 

Everyone sees that Kentucky should be 5-0, right? KENTUCKY! Even the weak SEC East is strong. Take a look at the SEC record as well. They should be 3-0. The only loss was in overtime to Florida in Gainesville.

This one shouldn’t be too much of a problem for the Wildcats so long as they aren’t score watching and not still talking about the win over South Carolina. Kentucky has a legitimate shot to win the East. They’ll need help, but who doesn’t at this point?
FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 28, ULM 13

#2 Auburn (5-0, 2-0 SEC) at #3 Mississippi State (5-0, 2-0 SEC)
3:30pm ET | CBS

Auburn and Mississippi State once played a game in 2008 that ended in a 3-2 win for Auburn. Mississippi State will be 3 while Auburn will be 2 on Saturday. Not sure which would have been the longest shot in Vegas in 10 year futures in 2004:

  1. Both teams will come into the game against each other ranked No. 2 and No. 3 or
  2. A game between these two teams will have a final score of 3-2

This will be the game of the day and maybe the game of the year. The winner of this game will be catapulted to a sky-high pedestal. The loser will feel like the season has ended. Yes, this game is one of the biggest and could be the best, but this game may have lasting effects if each team treats it as the end of the road. The winner cannot let its guard down and the loser must realize that the SEC champion will more than likely have at least one loss.

I don’t know what to do with this one. Which quarterback has the bigger day? Which quarterback stays healthy running the ball? Who throws the ball better? I think the third question determines the answer. No more wishes in the well for Auburn.
FINAL SCORE: Mississippi State 37, Auburn 35

Chattanooga (3-2) at Tennessee (2-3, 0-2 SEC)
4
:00pm ET | SEC Network

Knoxville News Sentinel columnist John Adams told Tennessee fans to stay home for homecoming and watch the bigger and better games on television.

I think (hope) this is done with tongue pressed firmly in his cheek. It’s not a writer’s job to sell tickets, but to tell fans to not support the largest content production piece for you and your employer. Butch Jones is killing himself to fill Neyland Stadium each and every week. In the past you could open the stadium up and charge $10 per head to come watch the checkered orange and white paint dry in the end zones and you would have 103,000 fans. That’s not the case now.

Again, John Adams doesn’t owe it to Butch Jones and the University of Tennessee to sell tickets or tell people to go to the game. He does owe it to Butch and his team not to encourage fans to stay home and not support a program on the mend.

Oh. Everyone will go home at halftime anyway because Mocs.
FINAL SCORE: Tennessee 52, UTC 10

#7 Alabama (4-1, 1-1 SEC) at Arkansas (3-2, 0-2 SEC)
6:00pm ET | ESPN

Where will Alabama go after last week’s loss at Ole Miss? We know for sure that Fayetteville is one correct answer. For Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, there better be only one direction his players and coaches are headed and that’s back to the top. I don’t see it being a huge setback. I also predicted 3-TD victory from Alabama over Ole Miss, so take these predictions for what they’re worth.

If Arkansas pulls the upset with their host of running backs and power up front, Alabama will be all but eliminated from any chances of winning the West, much less take part in the College Football Playoff. Bama might win, but more questions will linger. Bama wins amidst grumbling from spoiled fans who can’t quit looking at their new Bear Bryant Underoos in the mirror.
FINAL SCORE: Alabama 28, Arkansas 13

LSU (4-2, 0-2 SEC) at Florida (3-1, 2-1 SEC)
7:30pm ET | SEC Network

Due to time constraints, we will move forward in the action.

This one could go so many ways. It’s Les Miles versus Muschamp. I don’t see LSU losing three straight SEC games, so let’s give the Bayou Bengals the edge.
FINAL SCORE: LSU 18, Florida 14

Charleston Southern (5-0) at Vanderbilt (1-5, 0-4 SEC)
7:30pm ET | FSN/ESPN3

You know the old saying. When Vandy and Charleston Southern get together you can throw out all the records know the game is going to be somewhat stank.

Didn’t they film Charleston In Charge in Charleston? Buddy would come over to the house where Charleston was babysitting Nicole Eggert and in a worried tone say, “CHARRRRLESTON!” Then Charleston would roll his eyes and say, “Oh, Buddy.”

Does Vanderbilt want Charleston in charge of them. I find it highly doubtful. I do think everyone inside Vanderbilt Stadium Saturday will be ready to welcome back high school All-American quarterback out of Byrnes High School in Inman, South Carolina, Mr. Willy Korn. Korn is currently the wide receivers coach at CSU and will be returning to where he lead Byrnes to a 62-14 win over Tennessee powerhouse Montgomery Bell Academy in 2005’s Clinic Bowl Classic. Korn threw for a solid 462 yards and six touchdowns. Not bad considering Byrnes’ bench played much of the second half.

Because Charleston Southern brings Korn back to Nashville, I have to assume the Buccaneers will do much of the same to Vanderbilt nine years after that high school game that took place in the same stadium.
FINAL SCORE: Charleston Southern 34, Vanderbilt 30

#3 Ole Miss (5-0, 2-0 SEC) at #14 Texas A&M (5-1, 2-1 SEC)
9:00pm ET | ESPN

If there is a baby boy born ABW (After Bama Win) in the state of Mississippi, his name will be Bo. Luckily, not all boys will be named Bo. The remainder will have a birth certificate with the first name “Dak” all over it.  Get ready school teachers. The roll call struggle just got real.

This game is a late kickoff and I’d be willing to bet your house that it does not kick off on time. ESPN still does this thing where they schedule doubleheaders three hours apart so one game runs all over the other. Alabama-Arkansas kicks off at 6pm on the same ESPN, so if you like late-night games where you miss the first two songs of Sunday morning worship because you watched the end of the game before leaving, then you’ll love this one.

I may not pick against any Mississippi school for the remainder of 2014 because apparently Ole Miss and Mississippi State seceded from the NFC South. I know this will hurt many Rebels that have been kind enough to come to the site and read these weakly predictions. I’ve picked against, I’ve talked smack and I think I even defamed the entire state and said that Memphis was part of it and not Tennessee. For that, I am truly sorry. Even worse, I picked Memphis to beat Ole Miss in a game of football.

So, with the only flaw I can find with the Ole Miss defense is against the run and with Texas A&M throwing the ball 451 times per game, I have no choice but to break the momentum Rebel fans. I am forced to choose you as this week’s winner.

The secret is out Kenny Capitol Hill. Go ahead, Rebels. Rough him up a little. Soften him up so he’s tired in Tuscaloosa next week — Tired In Tuscaloosa starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and Kenny Hill opens Christmas Day!

Alabama needs Ole Miss to lose two games. The first won’t come on this night.
FINAL SCORE: Ole Miss 34, Texas A&M 24

Open Date: South Carolina

Eric Taylor is a contributor to FBSchedules.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricFromSpfld or contact him via email at Eric.Taylor –at– stadiumjourney –dot– com.

Comments (7)

Only in the SEC can an unranked team move to #3 by winning a couple of games. Quite ridiculous.

“By winning a couple of games.” Yeah, those games were at #8 LSU (If you’ve never been to Death Valley, I don’t expect you to understand) and #6 Texas A&M. And, as of Sunday morning, they have beaten #2 Auburn. Now, you tell me they don’t deserve that ranking. As an Ole Miss fan, it’s a bitter pill for me to take, but Mississippi State is legit and deserves to be #1.

It is more likely that Vanderbilt beats CSU by 70 than that CSU wins.

Predictions:
Georgia 49, Missouri 27
Auburn 28, Mississippi St. 17
Alabama 31, Arkansas 14
Ole Miss 38, Texas A&M 35
LSU 24, Florida 17

Kentucky 45, Louisiana-Monroe 10
Tennessee 41, Chattanooga 7
Vanderbilt 49, Charleston Southern 14

I’m not going to say my Hogs will win BUT sorry matt it won’t be a 17 point beating 31-14. Not HAPPENING. This will be a dog fight to the end. The Hogs are better and better every week. I fully expect Bama to walk out with a win but it won’t be 31-14 and I don’t think it’ll be as bad as 28-13 either. Hogs make it a 4 quarter game and Bama wins 28-24. It pains me to say Bama wins though but not trying to get myself locked in a padded room. Lol.

Byrnes high school is located in Duncan South Carolina. By the way willy korns brother plays for CSU. I would know I went to high school there. Oh and one more thing I was at that game.

I believe Ole Miss loses to Texas A&M this week just because of the emotional victory over Bama last week. Plus A&M will be looking to bounce back from the lose at Miss St. This is the week it looks like the SEC West teams start to beat each out for top spot. It would be funny if Kentucky & Ole Miss played in the SEC Championship game, it would be the 1st time for both.