Week 7: Preview and Predicitons

Here are my picks for week 7:

Mississippi State @ Middle Tennessee What is Mississippi State doing playing at Middle Tennessee? Talk about a game where you have everything to lose and nothing to win. The Bulldogs are coming off three tough losses in a row, so they’re not going to be picky about the particulars. They need any win. It won’t be easy in Murfreesboro, Tenn., but Anthony Dixon and Co. will find a way to grind it out.

Ole Miss @ UAB The worse Ole Miss plays, the worse its schedule looks. This schedule wasn’t very flattering when you broke it down back in August. It really looks like a dud now. So far, the Rebels have beaten Memphis, Southeastern Louisiana and Vanderbilt. They get a chance to add UAB to that list on Saturday, which isn’t going to win the Rebels much love nationally. But more than anything, they just need a game where they play well on offense and get everybody going in the same direction.

Georgia @ Vanderbilt -Go back and check the recent history of this series. Vanderbilt always seems to play Georgia tough, and it beat the Bulldogs in Athens in 2006. Vanderbilt has really targeted the state of Georgia in its recruiting, too, so winning this game would give the Commodores even more legitimacy when they start knocking on doors in that state. Look for another second-half game, but Vanderbilt simply doesn’t have enough offense to pull off the upset.

Kentucky @ Auburn -The schedule has really worked out pretty nicely for Auburn to this point. The Tigers get to come back home after their first loss of the season and face an injury-riddled Kentucky team that will be playing without its starting quarterback and best defensive player. The Wildcats played valiantly last week at South Carolina, but you wonder if they’re about to hit that wall.

Arkansas @ Florida- This is the fourth straight week that Arkansas has faced an unbeaten team. The Hogs also get the pleasure of being the second team this season (joining Kentucky) to have faced both Alabama and Florida, the top two teams in the country. The Hogs have a better idea of what they’re getting into for this game than they did at Alabama and have improved on defense. This game will be closer than most people expect, but the Gators are too dialed in to stumble now.

South Carolina @ Alabama- Any time you get Steve Spurrier on one sideline and Nick Saban on the other sideline, it ought to be fun. Now, if Spurrier were still coaching some of those Florida teams from the 1990s, this would be one everybody would want to see. But he’s not. Anyway (as the Head Ball coach would say), the Gamecocks have been one of surprises in the SEC in the first half of the season and have hung in there despite some costly injuries on defense. Quarterback Stephen Garcia is getting better, and this could be one of Spurrier’s best teams at South Carolina. But that’s still a far cry from having a team that’s ready to go to Tuscaloosa and beat an Alabama team that might be the best in the country.

Trying to bounce back after last week. Peace and Go Dawgs!