2017 SEC Football Predictions | Week 13, Part 1

By Eric Taylor -

2017 SEC Football Predictions Week 13 Part 1
Overall Record (80-22)  

Welcome to Week 13 of SEC Football Predictions, aka Rivalry Week. It’s a week we all anticipate, but it also signals the end of college football Saturdays. Let’s be come together, be thankful, and see the giblet bowl as half full. It’s time for hate, war, division, and animosity.

Happy Thanksgiving! Let’s commence to predicting.

NOTE: We will be talking in less paragraph form this week and more of a bullet format. There are too many stats and fun facts to mention. Rather than try to fit them into a proper sentence worth reading, let’s just make sure they are there to read. Fair? Good. Now, go eat some turkey and take a nap. If the turkey doesn’t get you sleepy enough, keep reading.

All Times Eastern | Utilizing College Football Playoff Selection Committee Rankings.

Thursday, November 23, 2017 

Ole Miss (5-6, 2-5 SEC) at #16 Mississippi State (8-3, 4-3 SEC)
7:30 PM ET | ESPN

  • There have been four safeties in the SEC in 2017 and three of them have come from these two defenses (MSU 2, Ole Miss 1).
  • Mississippi State has lost three games this season. On the road at No. 7 Georgia, No. 6 Auburn, and at home against No. 1 Alabama. All three of these teams are still alive in the College Football Playoff race and have a combined three losses among them.
  • Ole Miss ranks 11th in rushing offense and 14th in scoring defense. That’s a bad combination. Then again, we said Dak Prescott would kill the Rebels in Starkville on senior night in 2015 and Ole Miss ran all over the future NFL superstar and the Bulldogs, so it’s just numbers.
    PREDICTION: Mississippi State  38, Ole Miss 14

Friday, November 24, 2017 

Missouri (6-5, 3-4 SEC) at Arkansas (4-7, 1-6 SEC)
2:30 PM ET | CBS

  • The Tigers of Missouri average a gaudy 7.29 yards per play and nearly 500 yards per game on offense. That is best in the conference.
  • After starting the season 1-5, Missouri has won five straight and is bowl eligible.
  • The Hogs may not win this battle, but the smoke is getting thick from the Malzahn to Arkansas fire. If Arkansas steals Malzahn from Auburn, it may be the biggest upset over the the last 20 years of SEC Football history.
    PREDICTION: Missouri 49, Arkansas 20

Saturday, November 25, 2017

#7 Georgia (10-1, 7-1) at Georgia Tech (5-5)
Noon ET  | ABC

  • Georgia is a win over Georgia Tech away from playing in what they hope will be the first of three games in Atlanta. Winning Saturday will make the Dawgs’ trip to the SEC Championship Game as important as it was the last time they played there in 2012.
  • Georgia Tech lost to Tennessee in the first game of the season and lost to Duke last week, but they were seconds away from beating No. 2 Miami in October and upset No. 24 Virginia Tech two weeks ago.
  • Although the Yellow Jackets’ beat the Hokies, they have lost three of the last four games and it’s no coincidence that the usually stout running game has been held to under their 290 yards per game average in each of those games. Georgia’s defense is great against the run and should be good enough Saturday in Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.
    PREDICTION: Georgia 28, Georgia Tech 6
Florida State (4-6) at Florida (4-6, 3-5 SEC)
Noon  ET | CBS
  • To say this game has lost its luster is the understatement of 2017, but it still matters to those in the sunshine state. Potential coaching changes and injuries are just two of the off-the-field distractions that have and will continue to overshadow the season. Based on the success (or lack thereof) on the field, this may not be the worst year to divert the attention from the field. Florida seems to be playing the least bad (is that a thing?) right now, so we will go with the Gators to win.
    PREDICTION: Florida 19, Florida State 14

Louisville (7-4) at Kentucky (7-4, 4-4 SEC) 
Noon ET | SEC Network

  • All Louisville junior quarterback has done in the year after winning the Heisman Trophy is account for 4,560 total yards of offense. Although he’s not mentioned as a Heisman finalist this season, Jackson has put together another dominating year with the Cardinals.
  • Kentucky upset No. 15 Louisville last year, 41-38, at Papa John’s Stadium in Louisville. This season’s Wildcats are better built to beat Louisville, but the ‘Cats have the Cards attention in 2017.
  • Kentucky has not played well in games against teams that are at least evenly matched with the Wildcats. The most similar opponent to Louisville would probably be Mississippi State only because the Bulldogs have a dynamic quarterback in Nick Fitzgerald. The ‘Cats lost that game 45-7.
    PREDICTION: Louisville 40, Kentucky 28

TO BE CONTINUED… Iron Bowl and remaining games coming soon.

Eric Taylor is a contributor to FBSchedules.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricFromSpfld or contact him via email at EricFromSpringfield–at– gmail–dot– com. Eric sprinkles his talents across the property & casualty insurance sector and the comedy writing world. Luckily, he makes his living doing insurance,  Be sure to check out EricFromSpringfield.com and Like the Facebook page Facebook.com/EricTaylorWritesStuff  for updates on other stuff Eric may be writing or doing.Â