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SEC Preview: It’s good to be the Commodores
By Chris Pendley | September 12, 2008
Did we really expect Vandy to come out 2-0? It’s a good story. Will it last? Hardly. Other than that the SEC is off to a great start, Ole Miss dropped a heartbreaker last week and Arkansas should’ve completed the exacta to start the season 0-2; instead, they’re 2-0 and luck into a week off so they can prepare some more sacrifices. Everyone else walked (well, Alabama sleepwalked, but it counts).
As for this week, this is kind of a weird amalgamation of games. There aren’t many true showcase games - Georgia @ South Carolina comes closest, and there are a few duds in there (Ole Miss v. Samford?Really, that was the best they could do?).
The early-season slate of SEC games is a lot like vodka; pretty calm and soothing until you end up passed out on the bathroom floor come Week 4. Keep on drinkin’ Boris while we look at the weekend slate.
Vanderbilt v. Rice
I actually like Rice in a mild upset here; sure, Rice can’t play defense to save their lives (much like the rest of C-USA), but it’s not like Vandy is really known for having an offense, ever. Chase Clement may be the second-best QB Vanderbilt faces all year, which is saying something, and Jarett Dillard may be the second-best WR. This won’t go well, but this is still your Stupidly Entertaining Game of the Week, even if the matchup screams Raycom Special.
LSU v. North Texas
Remember how the first week’s game for LSU could’ve been fun if LSU was a bit worse? Yeah, that’s totally not the case here; North Texas is going to get completely wrecked here. It’ll be painful; I fully expect LSU to go into a 3-4 after halftime because three guys are going to be enough to get pressure on the QB, and North Texas isn’t exactly known for their defense. The forecast calls for pain. It’s worth watching the game to figure out what LSU plans on doing with their QB and/or RB situation; Charles Scott was a wrecking ball in Week 1, but will he retain most of the carries this time around?
Auburn @ Mississippi State
I was a lot more excited about this game before I realized that Wesley Carroll was way worse than expected. Now, there’s no real excuse why Auburn shouldn’t roll here, as Anthony Dixon is a good RB (but Ben Tate is better, and Brad Lester is about equal) and Carroll might be semi-competent in this game (and he still couldn’t hold Kodi Burns’ jock), but the defenses will tell the tale here. I expect the Bulldogs to need at least one defensive / special teams score to really have a shot here, and even with that they’ll lose by 14.
Georgia @ South Carolina
This game was hideous to watch last year, even if the end result was schadenfreudically fantastic. If South Carolina is as good as (Phil Steele) advertised, they should make this game close. By the same token, Georgia has a weird habit of playing down to South Carolina’s level over the last few years; the Bulldogs should win the game, but just because they shouldn’t doesn’t necessarily mean that they will. Still, in terms of pressure, this game should be pretty low-key for UGA, as everyone will be watching (and likely voting) the USC-(t)OSU winner #1 in the polls. Nothing makes life easier like nobody paying attention to a potential stinkbomb. For USC, we could see our first Stephen Garcia sighting, if you’re that kind of person. Fun fact: USC’s leading receiver is TE Jared Cook.
Alabama v. Western Kentucky
Because it’s not enough for Alabama to beat up and steal LSU’s oh-so-loved HC Nick Saban, now they have to go and schedule a provisional Sun Belt school over an actual one. Of course, the last time they played a Sun Belt school, the Tide lost, so maybe we’re a bit premature here assuming a win. But I’d say just a bit premature, not too premature; the Tide should - dare I say - roll. With lackluster offense and defense likely coming from WKU, most people on the Tide (Terry Grant included, John Parker Wilson, is not) are worth starting. (ed. note: Chris, I’d like to see you after class about JP getting vicious pine?)
Tennessee v. UAB
After an intense struggle against Bye Week, Tennessee comes back to face C-USA bottom-feeder UAB, who was best known last year for losing close to Florida State. For Tennessee, the UAB game is merely the precursor to the insane Florida-Auburn-(N Illinois)-Georgia gauntlet, two of which (Florida and Georgia) will get to rest up before playing the Vols. Ouch. In the meantime, the Vols have committed to getting the running game re-established (okay, established at all), meaning Arian Foster should be primed for a strong week. Montario Hardesty might find the going a little tougher.
Kentucky v. Middle Tennessee State
This is a pretty big step up for MTSU, who go from getting Maryland at home to playing Kentucky on the road. On the other hand, this might be the best team Kentucky’s faced yet, as Louisville isn’t exactly setting the world on fire. My suspicion is it’s a bit of both, but the Wildcats should have plenty on D to contain the Blue Raiders, even if their offense resembles the orphans in a “We Are the World” TV special.
Ole Miss v. Samford
Presumably Ole Miss will roll pretty easily here, as I don’t think anyone knows a) where Samford is, b) what NCAA division they’re in (are they NAIA?), c) what kind of classes they offer at Samford, and d) if their football team isn’t just 22 guys in tights. Stranger things have happened, but I have faith in the complete insanity that is Houston Nutt. Presumably it won’t matter a whole lot who gets PT, but this could be Enrique Davis‘ time to shine.
When Chris isn’t stumping for the Southeastern Conference speed, he pontificates on america’s game at http://leftfieldbluff.blogspot.com - Sports, rarely posted.
Topics: Chris Pendley, College Football, Preview, SEC |
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